Destiny Has Its Eyes on You
by EmilyBea
Summary: Captain Duckling/EF AU. On her 21st birthday Princess Emma runs away from home to fulfill her destiny as the savior. Determined to save her people from a never-ending war, she seeks the help of Killian Jones a lieutenant she fell in love with five years before, only to find him now the Captain of a band of pirates. Will love be enough to save her people, and help her find her HEA?
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: This is the first chapter of my attempt at a fan requested Captain Duckling fic with Princess Emma and Captain Killian. In this story, Regina still rules her corner of the EF, a constant threat to Snow, Charming and their children, Emma and Neal. On her twenty first birthday, though, Emma runs away from where she's been confined inside the castle walls for years. She is the prophesized savior, and she is determined to save her people from a never-ending war. To do this, she will need Killian Jones a lieutenant in a foreign navy, and the man she fell in love with five years before. But what happens when the boy she once knew is now the leader of a band of pirates? And can Emma find a way to save her people and find her own true love? The answer is heck yes, because this is one of my stories. I hope you guys enjoy!**_

 _Time never passed in the same way for the three sisters as it did for the rest of the world. For them, it was far more fluid, pulling each corner of their sacred trifecta into a different segment of its currents. They dealt with the past, the present and the future, and in the intersections of those states, they found their purpose – to keep the records of what had been, what was, and what would come to pass._

 _Mostly their curse was the watch the world unfold in ways they could never influence, but this strand of the world's story was different, for the fate of an entire people rode on the shoulders of a young woman, a woman they'd been watching some time. Her future was bright, her past nothing if not charmed, but the struggle to come was profound. Still, this girl with the golden hair and bright green eyes would overcome, that was written in the stars._

" _She will undo a past of suffering for her people, and for her family. She is formed of that past, the product of true love that survived a storm of whirling chaos in the darkness." The first sister, guardian of the past said as they watched the swirling pool of image filled water before them._

" _She will find her own love and with it, she will finally harness the power that's been trapped inside. Only with this can she make the future bright and hopeful once more." The sister of future confirmed, looking just the same. But several moments passed and soon the two sisters who had spoken turned to the third, distressed by her quiet. Preemptively the guardian of the present spoke._

" _Almost there, just a few moments more… there. Now she is ready, she faces the journey ahead with courage and bravery. Now Emma Swan embraces her destiny."_

" _So it has been, so it is, and so it shall be." All sister's echoed the typical chant together, sealing the bit of power they could to this story's heroine, but the guardian of the present added one last thing._

" _Follow your heart, Emma Swan, for it will always be your light in the darkness."_

…

"No one should look so sad on their birthday, Emma." Emma didn't look at her mother directly, for she didn't want her seeing the depth of emotions Emma was grappling with. If her mother saw them, it would mean more talking and Emma didn't think she could stomach a pep talk today.

First there was the sadness that her mother had seen, sadness that she had been alive twenty-one years, was by all accounts an adult, and she had known relatively nothing of life beyond the small bubble of being a princess. To her parents, and to the people, she was a breakable, fragile flower, a symbol of hope for a better future. But she was never allowed to prove herself, to taste what life outside was really like.

That sadness blended to anger and resentment for the way that she'd been raised and the reason things were this way. The Evil Queen was relentless, never letting down the threat of devastation on Emma's family, and waging a decades long war that ravaged their kingdoms and their people. Everyone was terrified of the Queen's magic, but not Emma. She believed in a simple truth that her fairy tutor Tinkerbelle always said – when faced with true light, there was no way for darkness to win. Emma had been training since she was a little girl to be that light, to make her magic one strong enough to free this realm of the Queen's evil once and for all. Maybe then Emma could have her own life.

That thought brought to head the third emotion swirling around inside Emma – guilt. She felt guilty for wanting more in a land where so many were struggling. Sure, she was confined, she hadn't left the walls of the palace in five years thanks to her parents fear that something would happen, but she was safe, and loved and protected. She had food and shelter, and a palace to call home for heaven's sake, but she still wanted more. Even if she mostly wanted to try and save her kingdom, there was a part of it this need to leave that was personal and for that, Emma felt shame.

"I know you're not comfortable with the idea of a ball, Emma, but it's for the good of the kingdom. We've invited everyone, and it's a time for them to see you and to know what we're fighting for." Emma looked at her mother then, trying to see if she truly believed that.

"Doesn't it eat away at you? People dying every day, families torn apart just to try and protect us? It's not right! It's too much!"

"I would lay my life down to protect these people, Emma." This was one of those moments where having Snow White as a mother was infuriating. She was so calm, so certain in her beliefs, that it rattled at the tensions building up in Emma and prompted her to strike back with truth.

"But you won't let me do the same! I can help, Mother, I'm of more use to this kingdom outside these walls. I have no knack for diplomacy, I hate balls and affairs of that sort. I want to fight, like you did, and this time we could win." Her mother shook her head, resolute as she always was that Emma's entrance into the fray of fighting wasn't the answer.

"It's too risky, Emma." Emma knew she could continue to argue her point but it would all come to nothing. There was no use in trying to make her mother see reason. Now all that was left to do was to go about the plan she'd made many months ago. Tonight was the night that everything would change, and that too played a part in the sadness that had set in Emma's features. Tonight she said goodbye to her family and made good on a vow she'd sworn to herself. She was going to be the Savior that was prophesized, and she was going to do it now.

"I should see Tink about today's lessons. I'll see you later." Emma moved past her mother, down the long corridors of the palace's East Wing and out a side entrance into the gardens where she spent most of her time. The rose blooms that marked her path were beautiful, but they held little meaning for her today. All she could think was that she had to find Tink.

"Emma, over here." From the side of the garden near a grove of trees, Emma saw her friend waving towards her and she smiled. Try as she might, Tink never could seem to be discrete. Her voice was too loud, a tidbit too high, her motions drew attention, but Emma loved her all the same. Tinkerbelle might have been her teacher, but she was also Emma's best friend and one true confidant in these palace walls. She could trust Tink with anything, and she had trusted her with her plan to leave.

"You know there's no need to hide. I can put up a spell to guard what we're saying to the attendants on the lawn." Tink shook her head, looking a little preoccupied.

"There's been a change in plan, Emma. I cannot leave with you. Fauna has been called to see Blue. She leaves this afternoon. Without her, we have no one to create the diversion, so it has to be me." Emma looked at her friend curiously, for her words simply couldn't compute. The plan had always been for Emma and Tink to go together, to find the young Lieutenant of the navy that she'd known as a girl, and ask his help in undermining some of the hold Regina had over this whole realm. To go it alone was something Emma had never considered, it was the first thing that had her second-guessing herself in a long time.

"But so much of what we had to do, I needed you for." Tink took Emma's hand in hers and interrupted whatever other doubts may have come.

"Emma, you are more than ready for this. I haven't said it before, but there's something you should know. The world is not as fluid as we like to think, some things are simply meant to be. Just as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so will you defeat Regina. It's the only destiny there is, and it's yours. You will save this kingdom. You will save all the people of this Enchanted Forest." Emma nodded, believing that Tink would never steer her wrong.

"And what if Killian can't help me?" Only now did Tink smile.

" _Killian_ is it? I thought he was just Lieutenant Jones." Emma blushed but she ignored the question about the man she'd met when she was just seventeen. Even if Tink knew Emma had always liked him, there was no time or room to harp on about it.

"Do I turn around with my tail between my legs if he says no? Everything depends on him, but what if he can't help? Or worse, what if he doesn't remember me?" That would be torture indeed, for in all her days she'd never met a man like him. He meant so much to her, even if they'd only known each other a few days time.

"Oh he'll remember you. A boy like that doesn't forget a princess as striking as you." Emma's heart pounded in her chest. Just the thought that she was going to see him again had her feeling like life had more hope than she'd long believed. What would he be like now? Was he as much changed as she was, or was he the same humble sailor with the lovely heart and the lopsided smile that she remembered?

"We have very little time left, Emma. Sneaking you out will be a test of everything we've practiced, but it will just be the beginning. Tink pulled out her fairy wand and drew a lazy circle around Emma's person while Emma just looked on, somewhat confused. "This spell will keep you untraceable from the likes of magic, even from Regina."

"What about you?" Tink sighed, a bit of regret hanging in the sound.

"It will shield you from all magical seers, Emma. Even me." That thought made her heart hurt. What would she do without Tink?

 _Keep going. I have to keep going, even if I'm scared._ The thought cemented Emma's resolve to push forward. She could do this. She had to do this.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes. I am ready."

…

As she looked into the mirror in her room, the one she'd stared into at the start and end of each day, Emma barely recognized herself. In a green satin dress, with a crown in her done up hair, she looked every bit the princess, but she also looked untouchable. She was no longer Emma, but an object, a token for the people and her parents to look at and dream of better days. Only Emma was done dreaming. She was ready to fight for the life that she wanted, and the life that all of the people of this realm deserved.

Earlier that day, Emma packed a bag that Tink and she embellished over months with magic. It was covered in protections and able to fit far more than it looked capable of within its depths. Inside the bag were essential tools she'd need and enough money to get her through her journey. Now she just had two more things to put inside. There was the map with which she'd tracked Killian using a locator spell. With the help of the one thing she had of his, a silver chain with a Swan pendant he'd entrusted her to keep when they'd parted years ago, she'd found out where he was. The spell said he was in her kingdom's port, which was shocking. What were the odds, really? But it would make finding him far easier. The pendant meanwhile hung around her neck, returned to its constant resting place once more

The other item she would put inside the bag was a miniature portrait of her parents and her little brother that she made painted herself. In it they were happy, smiling, and just as she most loved to picture them. It would be nearly impossible to say goodbye to her parents tonight, to know that she may never return if things went south, but saying goodbye to Neal, her junior by ten years might be the hardest thing she had ever done. She loved her little brother more than anything, but this was just as much for him as it was for her. Neal had no memories of life before the walls went up, and she hoped that if she succeeded, he could one day see the world for all it could be.

"You look beautiful, Emma." Staring from her dress to the place behind her in the mirror, Emma saw her father's smiling face and felt a sudden sense of calm. He always seemed to find her when she was hurting the most, and he was nearly perfect at remedying any problems that came her way.

"Thank you." Emma turned from the mirror to look him straight on. She noticed the worry lines that had set in through the course of her life and the subtle streaks of gray that were starting to touch his temples. Her father had lived a life of fighting, even if he also lived one of love, and time took its toll perhaps faster than it might have in other circumstances. He was still very handsome, but he was also tired.

"I've been thinking of what to get you as a gift. I went through the ordinary ideas, a new horse, some more dresses, a new tiara…"

Emma hated all of those ideas, except maybe the horse, but her father's eyes told her he'd decided on something different. At that moment he took a sword from behind his back and handed it to her. The handle was plated in gold, with distinctive markings, just like those on his own sword, but now the sleeve was different, designed specially for her with what looked like swans adorning them.

"Then I remembered that my daughter is one of the best swordsmen in the kingdom, and I decided on this."

"It's amazing. And it's just like yours." Emma released the blade from its sleeve and marveled at the way it caught the firelight in her room. It was light enough to wield with ease, and felt exactly to the proportions she usually favored. It was easily the most magnificent sword she had ever seen.

"Your mother and I have worked very hard to keep you and your brother out of all of this, but a day will likely come when that hold on the outside world breaks. When it does, I want you to remember one thing – we all fight for something, and that something is hope." Emma nodded, having heard years of similar professions about the power of believing. Still, tonight, it brought tears to her eyes. She would hold her father's words close, and hopefully they would be enough.

"I'll remember." He smiled and extended his arm to her.

"Good, now let's go see about that ball."

…

"Are you certain you want to stay in port another night, Captain? We've stayed here long enough, the ship's restocked, the trades all bartered. Perhaps it's best for us to leave with the wind in good showing as it is now." Killian heard Smee's words, but barely gave them any merit, for though the man may know the sea as well as Killian did, he had not the understanding of his Captain's past, and why this port mattered more than all the others.

"I'm certain. We stay the night." Turning away from Smee was enough to dismiss him, and Killian looked out into the well-lit town and allowed himself to sink back into memories of the life he'd once had as he brought his flask of rum to his lips.

Five years ago he had been a completely different person, a member of a royal navy, sent here diplomatically while under the watchful authority of his brother. He'd been barely eighteen and it was one of his first voyages as a lieutenant. It would also be one of his last, for not even three months later he'd lost his brother in the pursuit of a weapon for their greedy king. But this one trip, this one segment of the realm, had given him three days, the three that had been the best of his whole life.

He'd never forget the first moment he saw her, Princess Emma. She was, in a word, transcendent, more beautiful than anything he'd ever seen. She was also unlike any lady he'd ever known, for she'd come barreling to the docks full speed on a white horse, wind in her hair, smile wide and dress dirty from the exertion of her day. The pang he'd felt at first seeing her, the way his whole body seemed to yearn for even a drop of the light that surrounded her had shocked him to his very core. Had his brother not stood by his side, he'd likely have made a fool of himself and forgotten all politeness. As it was, she'd seen him, and there, in front of a hundred men, she'd approached the ship, her father's guards close behind.

" _This is a beautiful ship, where will it take you?"_ Her words were musical, the tone so lovely he'd have given anything to hear them once again, but before he or his brother could respond, a fairy who had flown there with the princess made herself human sized just to chastise the runaway royal.

" _Your Highness, if your parents find out you're accosting naval men from another kingdom, without even the decency to curtsy or beg introduction, it will be my hide on the line."_ Emma had rolled her eyes but she smiled all the same, and that had Killian's heart stuttering damn near out of his chest.

" _How silly of me, thinking I could just make some small talk. But propriety never rests it seems."_ Then she'd looked to his brother Liam and continued. _"The question was posed to you by Princess Emma, of this kingdom, but it remains the same. Where are you all headed, Captain?"_

Liam had blinked at her, as if unable to comprehend the question and so she'd turned to Killian and tilted her head slightly.

" _Have I been too incredibly rude for a reply from him?"_

" _No, my lady. We're here for a trading mission at our king's request before setting out to do some scouting of the unmapped lands to the East."_

" _God that sounds fantastic! Doesn't it sound wonderful, Tink?"_ The fairy looked skeptical but nodded, clearly to appease the princess. _"Better than balls and high tea for sure. Could your crew make room for one more?"_ Finally Liam found his ability to speak once more and he set her to right.

" _I dare say your father would have our heads for that, Princess."_ Emma frowned and shook her head.

" _My father would do no such thing. It's my mother you'd have to deal with."_ Killian had laughed at that, finding her joke rather funny, and the way she'd lit up caused the same flurry of excitement to course through him. _"She wouldn't behead you though. Not her style."_

" _And what exactly is my style, Emma?"_ The Queen's appearance had caused quite a stir amongst the guards and the sailors alike but Emma only smiled.

" _Forced attendance at royal balls."_ Her mother laughed heartily at that and had then gone on to inquire with Liam about the details of their mission. In the end, the benevolent Queen insisted that the crew take a longer rest within their port. She would be in touch with their King should there be any problems, and in the span of their three day stay, Killian had fallen hopelessly in love with Princess Emma, only to know that it could never work between them.

The pounding of horse hooves against the planks of the dock beside them brought Killian's attention back to the here and now, but what greeted him was something he couldn't believe. There on a white horse again was Emma, only where she had been a girl before, she was clearly and undeniably a woman. Her hair, though not done up as it should have been, was confined to a braid, with silky yellow strands that shone even in the dim of the moonlight. Her cheeks were flushed from her ride, her eyes wide with excitement, and her lips turned up in a half smile aimed at him. She was a vision, and that meant he must be far drunker than he'd believed. Killian dared not blink, in case the beautiful image before him should fade.

"What ye be doing here, lass?" One of his crew asked what Killian had believed was an apparition, and when she spoke he realized that she was in fact real.

"This ship used to fly different flags." Her voice held warmer tones than it had in youth, and spoke to the fact that Princess Emma was no longer a young thing, but a woman in every way.

"And why is that any business of yours?"

"Enough!" Killian said from his spot in the shadows and moved forward, watching the moment of recognition hit. Where he'd expected fear, there was surprise, and perhaps a bit of intrigue in Emma's eyes. The reaction filled him with a rush of something he hadn't felt in many years, both pleasant and terrifying.

"Killian. I mean, Lieutenant Jones."

"It's Captain now." Emma looked around the decks and then back to him.

"And your brother?" His heart clutched painfully at that but he shook his head.

"What are you doing here, Princess?" He watched a bit of regret cross her features that she quickly concealed, no doubt from the harsh way he'd ground out her title. Still, she lifted her head high and soldiered on.

"Perhaps I could speak with you without the audience." Killian raised a brow at that.

"Well that hardly seems proper for a lady of your standing." She dismounted the horse and whispered at the creature before it turned around and galloped off.

"Humor me for a moment and suppose that my status is not the issue. I need your help." The thought that she would need him struck him to his very core. Years ago when they'd met, he'd wanted her something fierce, and he clearly still did, but he'd never believed he could be of use to her as more than some entertaining sailor to fill her time for a few hours. Yet her tone was unmistakable, she was serious in whatever endeavor had brought her here. With a simple nod, she was on his ship and he was bringing her to his cabin, a place he'd envisioned her many a late night but never thought she'd actually see.

"So now you have your privacy. What can I do for you, princess?"

"You can risk your life for a greater good and in the process help me end a decade's long war that's ravaged this realm long enough." He barked out a bit of laughter, only to realize she was serious.

"Princess, I know you noticed the change in flags outside."

"You're a pirate now, I realize that, Captain." The way she said his title, not with revulsion but with something else clawed at him. "And someday, I'd like to hear the story of how that came to pass, but your lack of loyalty to one crown, might actually work in my favor."

 _I'm loyal to you, and you wear a crown._ The thought rang through his head and he hated himself for how foolish it was. She was trying to end a war, not express some sentimental bond to him.

"I take no sides in such matters. My intention is to survive and to keep my men alive as well." Killian turned away, to look out the small window in the cabin to see the sea. The night was calm, and it felt like the cruelest irony. Here he was battling a storm inside, while the world was quiet.

"I'm sorry for your loss." He whipped back around to look at her and saw tears in her eyes that would not shed. "Your brother was a good man, and I liked him very much."

"I never said-"

"You didn't have to. Only a loss as big as a beloved brother could make the boy I knew five years ago change into this. But I'm not going to use your love for him or our past against you. That wouldn't be right."

"How benevolent of you princess." The words cut through the space between them, making him sound like a hateful cad and he regretted them. "My apologies, you did not deserve that."

"Maybe not, but you deserve to feel the way you do." There it was again, the tell tale sign that her heart was pure and kind and giving, while his had nearly stopped existing over the past few years. But it hadn't, not fully, for here it was, crying out to help her, to protect her on what was a quest almost destined to fail.

 _It's what Liam would want._ The small voice in his head was right of course. His brother would have given his life to help people, but Killian wasn't half the man his brother was. With Emma's green eyes looking at him with hope though, he wondered if maybe, given time and the grace of a certain princess, he could be.

"How would you propose we bring down an Evil Queen's dynasty?" Her eyes lit up at that, but he watched her school her features again quickly.

"By going to Arendelle. Queen Elsa rules there and in their archives, I believe there is the one thing that can break down a heart of darkness like Regina's." Killian recognized the name and knew that at least in the past, Emma and the then princess had been good friends. The sail to Arendelle was a good two-week's journey, but it was nothing his men couldn't handle, roadblocks from the Evil Queen's men and all.

"You haven't told your parents you're going. Why?"

"Because I'm the only one who can wield this weapon against the Queen, and they won't risk losing me. Even if it means that thousands more will die." Killian could understand the instinct to keep Emma out of harms way, even if he hated it. He was in no position to be worrying about her safety.

"You're a princess, your life is worth a great deal." To him it would be worth just as much if she were a pauper.

"Being born a royal doesn't make me somehow better or more important than the men, women and children who've died. I live every day staring out into a Kingdom that struggles. People go without enough food and supplies to fund a war that will not end. They do it in the name of hope, but there will be none, not until I join the fray. And with each day, more men at the front lines die!" Her emotion had gotten the better of her, and she knew it. Her cheeks staining red, but she continued.

"They're far enough away that my parents hope I don't realize, but I know. I see it in my dreams every night. I've been fighting this war with them since I was a little girl, but every morning I wake and I go about my day as if nothing's wrong. I can't stand idly by anymore, even if it hurts them. I love my family and this kingdom enough to forsake my own safety."

"You never told me. About the dreams, I mean."

"Kind of hard to drop casually into a conversation." Killian crossed his arms over his chest unconsciously and she must have read him like a book for what she supplemented with. "I didn't want to burden you with it. Even if I trusted you, what good would it have done? You were kind of a worrier, and you'd have left thinking of me instead of staying alive."

"Still am apparently. At least enough to see you safe to Arendelle." The smile that lit up her features knocked him back again with a forceful blow to his chest. She was simply radiant.

"You will?" Yes, strange and foolhardy as it was, he would. Seemed the return of this ghost from his past had done away with all his reason.

"I might not be the obedient sailor you knew before, but even a pirate has honor, Princess. I've given you my word and I will honor it." She nodded but bit her lip, a gesture he knew to mean there was something more she had to say. "Out with it, Princess."

"Any chance we could leave tonight? My parents have no doubt realized I'm gone by now…"

"Bloody hell." Killian ran a hand through his hair and moved past her on the way to the upper decks, only to turn around once more. "Oh, and princess?"

"Yes?"

"Happy birthday." She gaped at him clearly amazed that he remembered, when of course he had. It's why he'd been in this blasted port at all. He made his way here once a year, on this day to honor her, even if he thought she'd never know. Even if he knew it would come to nothing.

"Mr. Smee!" he said, once above board again.

"Yes, Captain?"

"Change of plan, we're leaving tonight. Now actually." Mr. Smee's eyes grew wide with curiosity, but the man knew better than to pry.

"Where too, sir?"

"Oldstown. Some of the crew will no doubt dislike this change in plan, and if that be the case they can take their leave. The rest of us are on to Arendelle."

"Every man on this boat will follow you Captain, no matter what our orders." Smee was probably right. His crew was nothing if not loyal, and they trusted him, a trust he had fought long and hard to earn. With a dismissing nod, Killian took his leave of Mr. Smee, who called out orders to have the men and soon the ship was moving. For better or worse, Killian was in this, and he made a silent vow to himself to see Emma safe, as long as she needed him.

…

The next morning, Emma looked out into the great blue beyond as she stood at the edge of the decks. She'd risen just before dawn in the quarters she'd been given, fresh and ready for a new day and made her way to the upper decks. She didn't worry for her safety, her magic and her own training would always be enough to keep her safe, but she also felt that Killian's men could be trusted. If he allowed them on his ship, they too must ascribe to his sense of honor.

This morning already, she'd met Killian's first mate, a funny little man, if a bit nervous. It took a little prodding for him to say more than 'yes princess' or 'no princess,' but they'd gotten there. He'd apologized for their lack of breakfast offerings, but they were missing any sort of cook on this voyage since illness had seized their usual man in the last port. Emma in turn had convinced him to let her help with the meal, and while he'd first denied her he eventually yielded.

She met their deck hand, Pip, assigned to the food in the meantime, who was still really a boy. He'd been terrified to see her at first, and clearly alarmed at the fact that she wasn't regally dressed, but had turned grateful as she showed him all the little tricks she knew to making an easy but tasty meal with the means they had.

"Beg your pardon Princess, but how do you know how to cook?" Emma laughed at his question.

"I've always felt very strongly that those who delight in eating should understand how their food is made, titled or not. Besides, as far as rebellion goes, this was a pretty safe one in my parent's eyes. At least I wasn't…" Emma trailed off, realizing that they might see this as an ultimate rebellion.

"Running off with a hoard of pirates?" Emma looked at Pip and gave a small smile, before setting him up with the rest of what he'd need and returning above. Now she was here, coming to terms with the choice she'd made. There was no turning back now, even if she knew her parents would be sick with worry.

"Hardly the ensemble I expected of a princess." Killian's voice, thick with tension and appreciation, pulled Emma away from the remorseful thoughts, and when their eyes met she felt the full force of her attraction to him.

Killian was gorgeous, truly the most handsome man Emma had ever met, even if he'd forsaken the clean crisp colors of his navy for the black of a pirate's life. In the light of day, she saw that his hair was shorter than it had been, and that he himself was bulked up from the lankiness of youth. In his eyes, she saw a heated sincerity so striking it stole her breath away, but she wanted nothing more than to let herself succumb. Still she had to be strong, and keep her mission paramount. To break away from the pull he had over her, she looked down at her own outfit, smiling.

"Seemed more reasonable for what's to come. I could hardly help with a petticoat and a fine silk dress on." He was surprised at her answer and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I can't have a princess working on my ship, love." The way he said the word, even if it was offhanded, caused her pulse to quicken. She'd imagined him saying that word to her so many times, she couldn't deny its power coming from his lips. Love was a dangerous word to hear from Killian Jones.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Captain, but you already have. Did you not like your breakfast?"

"Bloody hell, I should have known there was no way Pip got that good overnight!" The way he seemed actually angry made Emma laugh but she held her ground, putting a hand on her hip.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Trust me, you don't just want me as a passenger." His eyes flashed with that heat again and she nearly stepped closer, but she held back. "I'm smarter than I look and a fast learner." At that he moved forward where she'd been afraid to before. Moving a bit of her hair out of her eyes, he spoke lower to her.

"There's nothing about your looks that says you lack intelligence, Princess." She'd expected seduction, but what she'd gotten was more than that. There, in those tones was the boy she'd known before, sweet and kind.

"So you'll let me help?"

"I hardly think I have a choice. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're still the same lass you once were, headstrong and determined, yes?" She nodded. "Then there'll be no stopping you."

"There's no need to look so defeated, Killian. A month with me at your service won't be _that_ much of a hardship." Too late she realized that she'd said his first name out loud again instead of calling him Captain. Now the tension between them grew twice as strong, with his eyes set on hers searching her for something she couldn't fully understand.

"It'll be a change, love, and not an easy one. I'm not the lad you once knew anymore." She saw the pain he tried to hide under hard words, but she didn't draw attention. She didn't want him to feel to exposed, knowing herself how mortifying that could be.

"Maybe you're right, but I think under all the leather and the swagger he might still be there." That gave Killian an out that he took readily as he grinned at her.

"Noticed those changes too, did you love? Perhaps you also noticed my roguish charm and dashing good looks." His voice made her hot, but she decided a retort was safer, and just so much more fun.

"Well I've certainly noticed that your ego is truly worth of a fearsome Captain." He laughed at that before stepping away, presumably to check on things elsewhere but instructed Mr. Smee to keep his eye on her and find some sort of occupation for her in the meantime. With a final look at her, he took his leave, and Emma felt a piece of her heart go with him.

 _ **Post-Note: Alright, so I have been working on this story for a while now and it is HARD. Most of my AUs I can handle, especially since they're modern, but this was interesting. I seriously applaud all of the other writers in this fandom who can do this and make it look so easy, because it is not. That being said, I have about ten chapters outlined for this story in total, and it will take us on a journey that leads to a guaranteed happily ever after, an M rating and lots of CS fluff. Hope you guys enjoyed, and as always, thanks for reading!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay, so, I thought that maybe writing part two of this would be easier than part one was only to find that is definitely not the case. I don't know what it is about this particular AU, but it's tricky to find the story I'm most passionate to tell. That being said, I do think I've staked out that story path a bit better, and am moving towards some awesome upcoming chapters. Until then, I hope you all enjoy this one, which features Emma actually being an awesome sailor, some fluffy moments, and a flashback to Killian and Emma in the past. Thanks for reading!**

Life as a princess had never felt particularly genuine. Yes, there were amazing moments, opportunities that Emma would never have given up for anything. But nothing every felt like this did. Life on the open sea was an awakening. The wind, the waves, the vastness of the clear blue waters all around them… it was breathtaking and invigorating.

Out here, thoughts of destiny and impending battle stayed far away, as if this pirate ship was blanketed with protections from the outside world. Yes, Emma was still _'the princess'_ to everyone on this ship, but she also had room to breathe and room to prove that she could be more than her title. After a life in the spotlight and under the careful watch of everyone she knew, this way of living felt incredible.

"Are you sure you can-" Before the sailor speaking could finish the question, Emma completed the intricate knot before her, securing the sail in its necessary place. The maneuver should have taken twice the time, but Emma was well versed in the technical workings of ships, despite not having much tangible experience. The man stared back at her, slack jawed with surprise and Emma only smiled. This had become a running theme during her time on the boat for the last few days.

"I think I can manage, thank you." He nodded shakily, giving her a half sort of bow and scurrying off along the deck. An airy chuckle behind her, more boyish than manly alerted her to Pip's appearance.

"You really showed him, Princess." Emma tilted her head, proud of herself if that was the case, but she noticed the bit of wonder in Pip's eyes along with the humor.

"Has anyone taught you how to do this yet?" Pip looked around before shaking his head. "Well I could show you, if you'd like to learn." Eagerly Pip moved forward, stepping to the ropes beside her as she demonstrated the intricate over and under maneuvers needed to make the sailor's star.

"Like this?" he asked a few steps later and Emma nodded, excited that he was learning so quickly. It had taken her so much longer to learn this knot with its intricate weaving and the coarseness of the fibers making up the rope on a weathered ship. Pip really was a natural born sailor if this was any indication.

"That's it, you've got it!" The younger boy's excitement matched her own, and Emma felt a sense of accomplishment at having taught someone else something. Usually she was the one in lessons, but this was just as exciting as mastering a new spell.

"Quite the teacher you are, Princess." That voice, those silky tones filtering through the air shot straight through Emma's chest. She didn't even need to see Killian to feel the sizzling attraction to him, but when she did the sensation only amplified. That black leather, intense blue eyes, and windswept hair. He was intoxicating and it was all she could do to keep from giving that away. Instead she regarded him with friendliness and banter. Maybe that would help as it had the past few days in his company.

"Thank you Captain. I have very little practice with it, but I find I rather like it." He grinned at that and it nearly took her breath away. Where she was trying to hide any of those feelings of heat and desire, Killian took the opposite approach. His charm and innuendo only increased, but the cockiness and grandeur made her question his actual interest. Was he feeling the pull between them as much as she was? Or was the man he'd become simply predisposed to such flirtations?

"Give me a minute alone with the princess, lad." Pip nodded, leaving immediately and when he was gone, Emma watched the subtle change in Killian's features. He stood a little straighter, his eyes a little softer, and when he spoke it washed across her skin like a caress. "So where does a princess learn so much about the sea? Perhaps another sailor of your acquaintance..."

"And what if there was?" She hadn't expected that her joke would cause the tension in his jaw, and hated to see the flash of regret in his eyes. "No, honestly, I read about it. For a long time all I read were almanacs and sailor's guides and stories about the sea."

"An awful lot in the palace library on seafarers?" Emma shook her head.

"Actually less than you might think. My family likes to keep their inquiries land bound. But a friend of mine in another kingdom loves reading and as soon as I showed any interest, she sent me dozens of titles that I simply 'had to read.'"

"There's a bit of difference between reading about such things and doing them, though."

"True. I suspect it's the sheer volume of material I read. Some things were bound to stick." Like how most sailors stayed out on the open seas for months at a time, and because of it they were less likely to marry and have children. Or how people at home could keep a sailor safe with different rituals. Emma herself had practiced a few of those since they'd parted years ago.

"You found a fascination for it, then?" She nodded, tearing her gaze away from him to look back out into the ocean. She prayed he wouldn't hear the rapid increase of her heartbeat or see the flush that she could feel sweeping across her cheeks.

"Can you blame me? You spent so much time talking about it before, making it seem the most wonderful place in the world. You always said this ship was your home, so you more than anyone would understand everything there is to love about it." When he didn't respond, she felt she couldn't look away anymore, but he wasn't staring at the sea, his gaze was fixated just on her. He seemed about to say something, but a call from the bow tore their attention away.

The moment now stolen, Emma regretted not knowing what that look was for, but she understood he had responsibilities. Actually it was for the best, this wasn't some sort of grand adventure. She was here for a reason, a mission, one that was dangerous and more than a little reckless. She needed to keep her head about her, and maybe put up some more of her walls. When the time came to face the Evil Queen, Emma needed a clear head and uncompromised heart.

Part of her parents downfall when it came to the Queen, at least according to some speculation, was that their love blinded them. Emma could well believe it. At different times they'd had their chances to end the war, and remove Regina from power, but they were never willing to risk the other or their family for anything. Emma respected that fierce devotion of love, but she couldn't afford those kinds of ties, at least not until she was freed from this fate.

To distract herself from the flurry of feelings that swirled inside, Emma resumed her work about the ship, slipping below decks to the galley to find Pip and help him with more of the meal preparation. She talked with the boy for hours, hearing more about his life and his origins. He was an orphan, born of poor parents in a kingdom Emma had heard of but never seen. Though his life had always been hard, he had fond memories, and to Emma, that was one of the most awe inspiring things about him – even in the face of a less than happy life, he found the silver lining. That belief in the good made Emma's attachment to Pip stronger, probably because it reminded her so much of her family's propensity for holding onto hope. She couldn't help but think that her mother and father especially would have loved the young boy. Perhaps that was why she answered one of his more intrusive questions with honesty.

"Do you like being a princess?" He asked, not sensing until too late that the question might be awkward, but rather than make him feel bad, Emma offered him a smile and the honest truth.

"I love being a member of my family. My parents and my brother mean everything to me. And the people in my kingdom are good and kind. I could not be prouder of a place in the world, I think. But it is hard to make everyone happy and be true to myself, and I think that is the simplest way to describe the plight of royalty." Pip nodded, as if the words were understandable and not selfish complaining.

"I think all anyone can do is to follow their code. Captain always says a man without honor is nothing, pirate or prince." Emma smiled at that, liking the fact that Killian believed in right and wrong, even if he now lived outside the constructs of traditional good. It was just another sign that the man she once knew was still there, and the man she was coming to know was one still worthy of her trust.

"Is it really true you have magic?" Pip asked, the words rushed as if he was truly embarrassed to ask them, for reasons Emma didn't understand. Surely everyone knew that she had magic by now, it was hardly a secret.

"Yes, it's true." He was quiet for a moment, and Emma worked on cutting the last of the bread before here. When she looked back up, Pip was clearly biting back another inquiry. In the end, curiosity won out.

"Can you show me?" Emma smirked, knowing that would be next question, and already having her subject in mind. She instructed him to step back from his work, and she did the same only to wave up her hands and send out a bit of light that seeped into each utensil. Now the pots stirred themselves, the bread knives cut in perfectly even chunks and the dishes needing cleaning did them all on their own. This was nothing compared to the magic she had, but if the look on Pip's face was anything to go buy, it was still an impressive showing. Before too long though, Emma resumed her station, and let the magical influence fade. He had seen her trick, but there was still work to be done.

In the face of her magic, Pip grew quiet, not out of fear like Emma knew people did when faced with the Evil Queen, but with wonder. This often was the case when Emma showed her powers to people who had never seen it before, and she allowed him time to think things through. Not until the food was ready to be brought up did Pip speak again. As they moved about the upper decks distributing everything, Pip made his final assessment known.

"You know, you probably can't take down the Evil Queen with a fork, but that was pretty cool." Emma laughed at that, a real laugh, one that she could feel all the way down in her bones and it felt good.

"If I could I wouldn't be on this ship, would I?" The sad thought sent a pang through her chest for even if it was under these troublesome circumstances, she valued the memories she'd made on this ship, and the chance to see Killian again.

As dinner was consumed, the ship's tradition of song continued from the past few nights Emma had been on board. Emma never knew that pirates liked to sing, but the evidence from her voyage thus far was fairly damning. While she didn't know most of the songs, she knew a few from her dalliance with piracy in books. Still, hearing the off key caterwauling of some of the pirates here, she doubted this was what the songs were intended to sound like when written long ago.

"You should sing, Princess." Pip said to Emma when a lull finally came across the ship but she shook her head resolutely.

"I don't think anyone needs to hear me after such a showing." A bark of laughter emanated from Smee of all people. Emma knew from her conversations with the man that this was one of those sailor's traditions he felt no attachment to, at least in their present company.

"Pardon me, Princess. I meant no offense to you, only the men aboard this ship who couldn't carry a tune to save their lives." A grumbling of general disagreement broke out and Emma laughed, watching as some of the men let the barb get to them a bit more than others, but with a little bit of ale they were easily appeased, back once again to focusing on their dinner for the night. The light around them was fading, the sun had just disappeared behind the horizon, and the moon was coming into its own light, a beautiful night over all.

"Please princess?" Pip asked and in that moment he reminded her so much of her brother, always finding ways to compliment Emma and her talents. She missed her brother, and that sense of longing reminded her of one of the few songs of the sea she knew. Turning her gaze to Killian across the way she found him staring at her expectantly and she raised a brow at his intense silence.

"Well you can hardly leave us wondering if the boy has greatly exaggerated." Emma laughed at Killian's challenge but decided to meet it. Staying just where she was with Pip, as she extended her voice to a lilting melody, Emma sang about sailing home to the embrace of one's home. The entirety of the decks was silent as she sang, nothing accompanying her but the whip of a light wind, and when she was finished, there was a moment of complete silence. When it passed though, there were exaltations and rejoicings among the men. Seemed her singing was indeed a hit with even the rowdiest of pirates.

All that mattered to Emma though was the peculiar look in Killian's eyes as he watched her through the entire song. She could not be entirely certain, but she suspected it was the same look he'd given her years ago. Offering him a small smile, she hoped things might be clearer, but he excused himself from the larger assembly and she was left cold and wondering what she could have possibly done to offend him.

….

Hours later Killian still paced the upper decks by the wheel, moved by a restlessness he'd never felt before. Its cause was clearly apparent – Princess Emma was without a doubt the loveliest creature that had ever lived and all he wanted was to be beside her always. When she'd sung that song, completely composed and never faltering from brilliancy, his person had simultaneously been calmed and thrown into a new sensation of enlightenment. Nothing else in the whole world compared to her, and there was no means for him to tear his eyes from the vision before him. She was a siren, a goddess, the physical embodiment of light.

But he was darkness personified now, a man outside the law, outside the rules of men, spending his time on the open waters pillaging for treasure and searching for purpose in money and trinkets. A man like him didn't deserve to feel the healing caress of her song, or to receive those beautiful smiles she seemed so willing to bestow upon him. He certainly wasn't deserving of the look in her eyes, the one that said she cared about him and his opinions. So he retreated, denying himself the one thing in the world that his whole consciousness desired above all else. How else could he protect her aside from removing himself entirely?

"The hour is late, Captain." Smee's words were true. The moon had made its way across the sky significantly, but sleep would not come for Killian tonight, just as it had largely evaded him since her arrival. Still, he couldn't appear as out of control as he felt. He took a swig from his flask once more and headed back beneath to his own quarters, painfully aware of Emma's proximity as he passed her room.

" _No, stop! Please!"_ Emma's anguished cry prompted him to act without thought of repercussion. She was in trouble, and he had to protect her. The fear of her being at risk coupled with rage that someone was threatening her melted away as he barged into her room to realize it was a nightmare. She was alone in the quarters, but moving about in her sleep as if in pain. Despite the lack of propriety, Killian moved forward, needing to wake her from this state of suffering.

"Princess. Princess. Emma!" Finally at the sound of her name and the feel of his hand on her shoulder, she startled awake, heaving from the exertion of the terror in her dreams. When her green eyes caught his, her whole body visibly relaxed. Meanwhile it took all of his will power to keep his eyes on her face instead of where her blankets had gone low enough to reveal her nightgown.

"Killian, you're all right." The relief in her comment took him off guard. Her nightmare had been about him?

"Aye, love. I'm not the one in the throws of a bad dream." Only then did Emma realize the situation, taking stock of her own state. But where Killian expected modesty, she produced none, remaining exactly as she was and looking back at him, those wide green eyes trained on his features. "You should have that door locked, love. I told you that on your first night here."

"The people who could hurt me wouldn't be deterred by a lock, and besides, I can handle myself." Killian shook his head, unconvinced and now clinging to anger that she was being so lax with her own safety.

"When I give an order on this ship, Emma I expect it to be followed." He hadn't expected her to smile at the edge in his voice, and it prompted another outburst. "What are you smiling about?!"

"Aside from the show of authority, which becomes you by the way, you called me Emma." He thought back on his words and realized that he had. Things were edging far and away past what he'd intended. Just his being in this room with her could ruin the reputation of a princess, but would be nothing to a man like him.

"You're playing with fire, Princess." She sighed, a bit of her uneasiness returning to her face as she looked away.

"Fire doesn't scare me. It's everything that comes when I close my eyes that keeps me up at night." Killian felt paralyzed for a moment, not sure whether he should stay or leave. She needed someone right now, but he couldn't be that person.

 _Yes you could be,_ his mind yelled at him. _And she needs you._

"What can I do?" Her eyes flashed back to his and she bit her lip, driving him crazy in the process. All he could think was that he wanted to bite that lip and then kiss it better, running his hands along those lush curves and then through the golden strands that were curled and without confinement right now. He balled his hands into fists to keep from reaching out to do so.

"You can stay." The hope in her voice gutted him, especially considering the salacious thoughts he'd just been thinking. Part of him wanted to give her everything and anything she asked for, but this was reckless not just for her but for him as well.

"Princess, I don't think-" Her hand came to his arm, and the warmth that seeped through it sent zings of pleasure through him.

"Killian, please." When she said his name, she held this sort of power over him and there was simply no denying her.

"Bloody hell," he muttered under his breath as he moved to lock the door, and then without stripping out of anything aside from his boots, he got in the bed beside her and did nothing as she lay beside him. Well, actually, that wasn't entirely true. He took great pains not to make physical content, unsure of how he'd be able to resist the spark between them if he did. Even if he was no longer a gentleman, with Emma he had to be. She deserved so much more than the man he was, and so he must be more, at least tonight.

"I'm not going to break if you accidentally touch me." He chuckled at that nervously. That was the thing about her - she made him nervous when nothing else had in many years. Being with her made the last five years melt away as if mere dreams instead of hollow realities. How quickly he'd devolved to that awkward lieutenant once more.

"Take this as your victory Princess, and go to sleep." Emma laughed, and the same wave of happiness that always came when he heard it crashed down on him, lulling him to relaxation far faster than he'd expected. She turned to face him then and smiled, her eyelids lowering in a sleepy sort of way. She mumbled a quiet thank you and something else that strummed at his heartstrings. She said that she had missed him, and nothing could ever compare to hearing that confession from her.

While Killian slept better than he had in a long while, he still rose long before the sun to find that his body had betrayed his good intentions during sleep. He held Emma close, when he stirred awake, her facing him and tangled up with their arms, their legs. It made him unbelievably happy. To hold her like this was a privilege, and perhaps the best moment of his life thus far, even if it was wrong. His whole body was aware of the glory of this moment, and his baser urges were rearing their ugly head, trying to break free. So, knowing that he'd sworn to be better for her, he allowed himself only a few minutes to truly take stock of her beauty and the way she fit against him perfectly, as if they were destined to be together. But thoughts of destiny eventually pulled him from her arms, from the bed, and from her quarters all together.

As he took each step away from her side, Killian had to admit that they'd come to a turning point. Whether she knew it or not, Emma held all the cards – she alone had all the power – and now the ruthless Captain Jones, the man trying to become the most fearsome pirate on all the seas, was captive under her spell, just as much as he had been as a young, wide-eyed lieutenant. Whatever happened now would be up to her, and to the best of his ability, he would give her the world, just as he'd given her his heart years ago.

…..

 _Strolling through the walkway of roses, Emma felt nervous and excited all at the same time. Lieutenant Jones and his brother were coming to the castle today, their last day in port. Emma had to wonder what he'd think of her world, after two days spent out in the village and seeing his boat down by the docks. The castle seemed to change the way people behaved and acted, as if these stonewalls and lush grounds dictated propriety. Emma only hoped that the kind, sweet and handsome Lieutenant would stay the same, and continue to see her as Emma and not a Princess. With him, she felt more like herself than she ever had, and she wasn't ready to let that go._

" _I'm not a man predisposed to losing my way, but I admit this place has gotten the better of me." Emma turned around to see the boy in question already here, smiling at her just the same way that he had the day before._

" _I imagine it would be a terrible inconvenience for a sailor to lack a sense of direction." He laughed at her joke, and Emma felt joyous at the sound._

" _I'd be demoted in an instant I assure you." They started walking together down the hedgerow, close enough to touch, but neither closed the distance between them, even though Emma wanted to more than she wanted nearly anything in the world. Instead she reverted to the one thing she knew was safe between them, talk about his chosen profession._

" _Did you always want to be a sailor?" Killian considered her question, hesitating a little before speaking his truth. He only ever told her the truth, and as a princess, she didn't meet many people like that, it made whatever he said all the more captivating._

" _I always wanted to be like Liam, and I want to make him proud. I don't get moments like this on a ship though. The beauty there is different, it's in the waves and the cry of seabirds when you're pulling into port, or the thrumming of a storm against the ship, strong enough that it could sink you but it doesn't. But some nights the sky is so clear, the whole world is nothing but stars, and those are my favorite."_

" _Do you think you'll be a sailor all your life?" Emma couldn't help but ask the question. The simple truth was that as long as he lived for the sea, her chances of seeing him were close to nothing, but maybe if he envisioned himself doing something different someday, that would change. It was a fruitless hope, she knew, but hadn't her parents always told her that belief could be enough?_

" _I always thought I would." Emma looked at him, willing him to continue and he did, stopping beside her and looking in her eyes with an earnestness that stole her breath away. "Now I'm not so sure."_

 _At some point in their journey, he'd pulled a single rose from the brush and now extended it to her. She brought it to her nose swiftly, scenting the sweet blossom and closing her eyes just for a moment to lock in this moment as one she'd always remember. When she gazed upon him once more, the sweetness had shifted to something more – now desire buzzed between them, loud and unwilling to be ignored._

 _One of them stepped closer, Emma wasn't sure who, maybe they both had, but they were mere inches away now and in an instant she knew, this was the moment she was about to have her first kiss with a boy that already had her heart. Unwilling to wonder and wait anymore, she closed the distance, pressing her lips to his and caving to the sparks that had long been flying between them._

 _The kiss was unlike anything Emma had ever known before, better than any sort of magic she'd made or seen. It changed the very way she saw the world, and in a moment gave her context for what her parents had always said about finding each other. This was a powerful, life affirming kiss, one that maybe even came from true love. When it ended, and they pulled away, still wrapped up in each other, Emma immediately missed it and missed him, but the expression on his face made everything worth it. He looked adorably thrown off, and smiled with a hint of bashfulness, as if he'd felt every pulse of love with her beat for beat._

" _That was…" He ran his hand through his hair and Emma watched him smiling._

"Emma!" _Her Mother's voice crying out to her from across the grounds couldn't have come at a worse time. There was so much left to say, and so much kissing she still wanted to do, but it was like her Mother had a sense for when she could inconvenience her. Taking a step back, Emma ran her fingers through her own hair, trying to tidy up some._

" _Something we should talk about later." She brought her hand to his hand and squeezed until he nodded._

" _As you wish."_

…..

The warmth that had enveloped Emma through the night was gone by the time she blinked away the remnants of her wonderful dream remembrance. She mourned its absence, even as she felt the physical proof of Killian's having been there. His smell lingered, the place where he had slept was left untidy, but he had also given her an incredible gift – a restful sleep that left her whole body calm and composed. It had been years since Emma had truly slept, but in Killian's arms, the visions hadn't plagued her, the misery of war and strife stayed far away. In his embrace she was safe, just as she always had been, and his touch ignited dreams about the past, happy memories of a time she often wished she could go back to.

 _There is no going back, but maybe we could move forward,_ Emma thought to herself as she finally got up from bed, taking great pains to disturb as little as possible while still tidying up. Emma suspected that when she found Killian today, he'd like to pretend this had never happened, and that thought tore at the very fiber of her being. She would have to be strong, put on a brave face for the foreseeable future, but in private she would dream of this night again, even if it wasn't the way she'd always envisioned sharing a bed with him.

Just the thought of her often overzealous imaginings brought a blush to her cheeks. Emma knew she was completely transparent so she had to school her features, keep the others from guessing what had happened. When she believed she could actually do that she opened her door, now dressed and ready for the day ahead.

What Emma did not expect was a book just before the door, propped up gently. It was called 'Love of the Sea' if Emma's translation of the old language was correct. She wiped away the bit of dust from the cover as she opened the book, and there, pressed into the middle of the binding was a single rose. Dried out, but still brilliantly colored, Emma knew at once where the flower hailed from, for her family's flowers were the only ones in the enchanted forest that swirled their colors just like this. Written beside the flower was only one sentence:

' _That was something we should talk about later.'_ Emma smiled, happy tears welling in her eyes at his thoughtfulness. Surely he would never call back to their past if he was just going to cut her down or out. It now seemed she was worried about nothing.

"As you wish," she murmured into the stillness of her room, as he magic returned to the blossom to it's original brilliance and she murmured a protection spell to keep it just as brilliant forever more.

 _ **Post-Note: So there we have it, chapter two of my EF AU. For better or worse it's here, and I really do hope you guys liked it. Know that the chapters from this point forward have far more direction and important pinpoints to Emma's journey and the CS romantic plot. As always, thanks for reading, and I hope you all have a lovely weekend!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Hello all! Happy to say that this update of**_ **Destiny** _ **did not take the same insane amount of work as the last two. For better or worse, I think I've found my rhythm with this story and this AU finally. I at last have outlined everything and feel comfortable with where this is all going. This chapter brings Emma and Killian to Oldstown, the one place they'll be stopping before seeing Elsa in Misthaven. I incorporated some cute little scenes in here, that I wasn't originally anticipating, but I think worked pretty well. Let me know what you guys think, and thank you so much for reading!**_

Emma and Killian had fallen into a rhythm the past few days. Above decks and in front of the others, they kept their distance politely. Occasionally they'd banter or talk, and neither could keep their eyes away from the other even if they pretended to do so, but after the sun went down, and everyone had retired to bed, they'd reconnect. Out in the corridor they'd happen upon each other, each with an excuse as to why they'd been out of their room and they'd come to an unspoken agreement. They'd ward off each other's demons, at least through the night.

It was… _innocent_ almost. Definitely nothing Emma would have envisioned as what she'd have with Killian. All those years he'd been gone, she'd fantasized about what it would be like to kiss him again, to have his hands on her skin, and in all honesty, those fantasies had only gotten steamier with time and in the face of the rough and tumble pirate he'd become. The authority he wielded over his ship was absolute, the strength he carried in his shoulders, the cockiness in his gate. All of it drew Emma to him like a moth to a flame, and then to have the boy he was before underneath all of that swagger and charm, it set her on fire.

In those moments, the first ones where they touched after a day apart, Emma would consider throwing everything away, all expectation, all courtesy just to know what it was like to have him, to really have him. Would he take her with undeniable passion and that incredible control he used so often in his real life? Or would he kiss her with wonder and awe and dare she say it… _love_ , like he had before. Would things be soft and tender or hard and gloriously fast? These were the questions she fell asleep to every night. They scratched at her mind day in and day out, and she saw Killian struggling with it too.

Emma wasn't a fool, those heated glances, the way his breathing hitched at the first touch ever so slightly, the sort of hum of pleasure that came when she sometimes woke up before him and allowed herself the chance to run her fingers across his chest or his arms. There were so many layers remaining between them, always, and she knew they must remain if the shred of decency they had left was to stay in tact as well. But Gods did she want him. More than anything, she wanted him.

 _You can't have him,_ _Emma_ , the voice inside her head chastised her foolishness at the thought, and it was right. She was on a mission and there was a good chance that when this was all over, her interaction with the Evil Queen wouldn't only end her evil reign, but possibly Emma's own life. Incredible power would be needed to rid Regina of her claim to this world, power that might extend even Emma's natural ability.

Bringing Killian into all of this even in this way, as her transportation to and from the other Kingdom's was enough. She couldn't ask him for more, because she knew, that under all those walls and claims that he'd changed, he was the same boy who'd looked at her with love years ago. If they did this, if they caved to those feelings and something happened to Emma, Killian would bear that guilt with him forever. Even if her actions were out of his control, he'd stay beholden to the ghost of her, just as he was to his brother. Though Emma still didn't have all the particulars, she knew Killian would have done no wrong to cause Liam's passing, but still his brother's demise clung to him with determination. It pained Emma to see him hurting, but she also had her hands tied. How could she heal him without confessing her love for him? She didn't see a way and so she stayed mum on the subject.

"You think so loudly, Emma." His raspy voice from the bed beside her startled her, causing her to jump slightly in her spot beside him, but still she smiled. He hadn't even opened his eyes, but he knew her well enough to know that she was worrying.

"Thinking is good for you, Killian. You might try it sometime." Only then did he open one of his blue eyes and squint at her as if accusing her of ridiculousness. She muffled a laugh with her hand and soon he was smiling too. Suddenly those dower thoughts were behind her, all that remained was the two of them in this moment happy and together.

"You wound me, Princess. Besides, it's foolish to insult one's trusted currier, is it not?" He stood up, throwing on his clothing once more as he did every morning and Emma smirked to cover up the pang of regret that came at seeing him putting _more_ clothes on instead of stripping the others away.

"Probably, but it seems I'm prone to foolishness." She'd turned her face down to look at where her fingers gripped the sheets only to feel a tingle of warmth at her chin where his fingers grazed her skin, tipping her up to meet his eyes.

"You are easily the smartest person I know, love. Never doubt that." Emma's heart felt like it would hammer out of her chest, and the rush through her veins of anticipation at the gentle graze of his skin on hers made her slightly dizzy, but the moment broke with some thumping from the decks above that caused Killian to retreat. "We'll be pulling into port shortly, Princess." She nodded, trying to put on a good face and then he was gone through the wooden door and back into the real world. Maybe that was for the best, but if it was, why did she feel like her heart had just gone with him deserting her here alone?

…..

Moving about the upper decks, Killian lacked his usual focus in the sight of an impending landing. His crew didn't need his instructions, they knew well enough what was expected of them, but typically Killian would be a bit more jovial, and a bit more enthused. Entering a new port meant more rum, better food, and a sea of women he could choose from. And there was the problem, the only woman he ever truly wanted was already on this ship, filling his every thought and consuming him when he was awake and asleep.

They were playing a dangerous game here, allowing themselves even this limited closeness, but he felt powerless to walk away from it. With each passing second there was less and less resistance to the resounding truth – he loved Emma more than he had ever and would ever love another person. Completely at her will, he'd have walked through hell for her, and sometimes that's what it felt like, to lie so close to her and resist touching her, taking her, showing her exactly what kind of thoughts she inspired each and every moment in his day.

"Good morning, Captain." Killian shook away the early morning musings and faced Pip, standing before him with a bit more confidence than he'd had even a week ago. Killian smiled, this was the power of Emma after all, inspiring people and reminding them of their worth.

"Pip. I was meaning to find you this morning. I need your assistance with something, lad. Today on shore, you will stay by the Princess' side and keep an eye out for her." Pip smiled, and Killian wondered if perhaps this was why the boy had approached him at all.

"Aye, sir. Though I think the Princess would likely be the one protecting me should a situation arise." Killian considered that, for the lad had a point. Emma could hold her own, should anything come to light, but it made Killian feel better to think she'd have a friend looking out for her. He himself had a few errands to run while docked, and thus couldn't claim the luxury of staying by her side today. But tonight…tonight he would have that privilege once more, even if it drove him half mad to be there.

…..

Touching down on land nearly a week after setting sail should have had Emma more off balance, but if anything she rejoiced in the stability of walking on ground again. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and all around her people went about their business, passing by her as if she was just an ordinary person.

Well not _entirely_ ordinary. She was walking around with a pirate ship deck hand by her side, and her own apparel in pants and a flowing tunic had people staring every once in a while, but eventually, people's glances cast elsewhere, leaving her and Pip to move about freely.

"Is it like this wherever you go, Princess?" Pip asked, surprising Emma.

"Like what?"

"With all of the people staring, I mean." Emma smiled at that.

"I hardly think they know I'm a princess, if that's what you're implying, Pip." Pip blushed but nodded and they continued on down the street. Emma took pleasure in watching the people as they passed, wondering at how their lives must be. She speculated about whether the Evil Queen had much reach here, but she found it unlikely, for Oldstown was on the coast and from what she could tell, not spectacularly wealthy. The Queen valued few things in the ways of human worth, but the places with money and resources and spry young men to fight in her campaigns, those were deemed desirable. In Emma's mind, to dismiss a place like this was a mistake, for she could tell it was rich in culture and even more so with neighborly kindness.

"Did you have any ideas about what you'd like to do today?" Emma had indeed. She fancied that maybe she could do a little shopping, hopefully finding a trinket for Pip and some of the others who had made her feel welcome on the ship. Or she could get some better food. Despite the leaps and bounds forward she and Pip had made down in the galleys, it would never compare to the hot, home cooked meals they could find on land. Just as she was about to express these possibilities, though, a group of young children caught her eye. There were maybe ten of them in total and all of them were standing around as if not knowing whether or not to play. Emma's heart went out to them, and that feeling only intensified when she looked at the sign above the house near which they played. _Oldstown Orphanage_ , it read, in wearing paint on a lopsided sign.

"Today we play, Pip." Emma stepped forward towards the children and immediately one of the smallest girls in the group took note. Her brown eyes grew big and wide behind the locks of almost black hair that fell in front of her face and she held the old stuffed bear she had in her hand closer to her chest, but she didn't look away. Something about the little girl's courage in the face of newness spoke to Emma and she knew she had to make the sad etchings on her freckled face fade away. All of these children deserved to smile, and deserved to have a happy day. That would be her crusade today, to give them just that.

"What's your name, little one?" She asked crouching low to the little girl.

"Moira," she replied with a bit of a warble in her voice. Brave as she might be, she was still timid and from what Emma could tell shy too.

"That's a beautiful name. Moira, could you bring me to whoever watches you all here?" Before that was even necessary though, a harried looking younger woman stepped out from the orphanage's front door and caught Emma's gaze.

She was pretty, in an unusual way, with wildly curly auburn hair and glasses perched on her nose slightly askew. Her hands and apron were covered in flour, but her cheeks flushed with the exertion in a flattering way, and under her old dress Emma saw a pretty figure. At first the girl, who was maybe seventeen, seemed to stiffen in the face of Emma and Pip, but when Emma smiled, the woman followed suit, her worry softening. This was one of those happy benefits of white magic born of true love, it was pretty much impossible for people to meet you and not feel they could trust you.

"Hello, Miss. My name is Emma, and this is my friend, Pip."

"Harriet. What can I help you two with today?" She asked, running her hand along the apron on her dress. The way that the children flocked to her told Emma that this must be the caretaker, young as she was, but Emma didn't bring up her age. No doubt she was well enough aware that she was sacrificing this much at the sake of her own childhood.

"We were actually going to ask you the same thing. You seem to have a lot to do and very little help around here." The strangled sort of sigh that came from Harriet at the mention of her work load only cemented what Emma knew to be true – this girl, kindhearted as she was, was struggling to help these children and keep the orphanage afloat.

"It's very nice of you to offer, but I wouldn't want you to go to any trouble." Emma looked to Pip only to see him completely transfixed with the girl. She had definitely seen that look before. _That_ was the start of puppy love in the making.

"It would be no trouble at all. Would it, Pip?" He stammered a bit, but finally agreed that it would be their pleasure to help. Harriet's flush only seemed to grow at Pip's words and Emma was entirely certain she'd inadvertently stumbled upon a new little love connection.

"Well, I could use the help." Emma clapped and looked down at the children.

"Splendid. Pip just happens to be one of the handiest deck hands who has ever sailed the open seas, surely he can help you with anything that needs fixing." Emma looked down as she felt a tug at her pant legs only to find little Moira again looking up at her.

"What can you do?" She asked, her voice clear as a little bell this time.

"What can _I_ do? I can show you all the best games in the whole world so you'll always have them." All the children became happy little balls of excited energy as Emma went about showing them all she knew. Whether it was play fighting, hide and seek, or a whole host of imaginary games she herself had played as a child, all of the children learned incredibly quickly. They were smart, each and every one of them, and so eager for attention. Emma couldn't imagine doing this day in and day out by herself, it was truly exhausting, but it was also some of the most rewarding work she'd ever done.

At one point, three of the little girls, including Moira, decided that Emma needed to let them braid her hair. They went on and on about how beautiful it was and how they would never have another chance to see such beautiful locks but Emma made sure that they all knew their own worth. Aside from being beautiful, they were smart and honest and good. Those were the things most important about a person, and they were values that should be cherished.

"My Mama used to say that we should always have courage and be kind." Emma smiled at Sarah, one of the older girls there.

"She sounds like a very smart woman." Sarah gave a sad sort of smile.

"She was." Emma patted Sarah's hand lightly.

"I'm sure wherever she is now, she's very proud of you. Just keep doing your best and she always will be."

Exchanges like that happened throughout the day, and Emma found out more and more about how these children had come to be wards of the orphanage. Despite her earlier beliefs, the Queen's war had affected these parts, though not in the violence itself, but in increased labor for less money. Families, who were once able to support themselves, were run into the ground to increase the Queen's supplies, and because of it these children were either given up or left behind through no choice of their parents. It was incredibly painful to think about, but it steadied Emma's resolve that she was doing the right thing in trying to fight the queen.

"Miss Emma?" One of the boys asked her later, after she'd shown all of the children the proper way to hold their fake wooden swords and left them to try and play together.

"Yes, Thomas?" The boy seemed tense, watching his own intertwined hands as the twisted uneasily.

"Do you believe in magic?" His question was random, but intriguing.

"I do, but why do you ask Thomas?" The boy, who was no older than nine, pulled her to the side of the house and to the vines clinging to the fading brick façade. When he put his hands on the greenery, the vines began to move and grow. He was magical, and it seemed he was also afraid. Emma knelt down beside him and looked him straight in the eyes. "That is amazing, Thomas! You have a real gift. Have you always had it?"

"Yes, it's why my father left me here. He was afraid of me." Emma frowned at the thought. Her parents had always embraced her magic, but if they hadn't, she would have felt incredibly alone. Though Thomas likely didn't match her level of magical aptitude, she knew he must feel the internal swirling of his power, and that at his age, it would come at the most inopportune times. She wanted to give him something, a bit of peace of mind and it dawned on her that she had just the thing. Reaching into her magical bag, she quickly summoned a book for him to have.

"Sometimes people are afraid of what they don't understand. But what you have is important, and it means you can help people. First, though, you'll have to practice, and this will help you start." Thomas looked confused at the book's cover.

" _A Fielder's Guide to Birds_ , Miss Emma?" Emma laughed a bit, extending her hand to take his. He gave it readily and with his hand in tow, she waved her fingers over the cover to unlock the actual content so he too could see it. The little waves of white light revealed the real title _'Principles of Light Magic.'_ It was the first book she'd ever studied under Tink when she was about his age.

"I knew it! I knew you had magic!" His forceful claim caught her off guard.

"How did you know?" He shrugged, as if it was unexplainable, but still he tried.

"Everyone has colors around them, but you kind of glow sometimes. The light always finds you." The words told Emma that Thomas had the kind of power that let him see auras, which was rare, but the way he'd phrased the comment was so strikingly similar to something her own mother said all the time. It made her wonder if her light was visible even to the average person. She'd always assumed her mother was trying to say she was good at being good, but what if physically she was giving off light? Would that put her and the people around her at risk? She must have been frowning for Thomas continued. "I didn't mean to make you sad, Miss Emma."

"You didn't. Just doing some thinking. Now, if I give you this book to keep, you have to promise me that you will use your powers for good. That's the only way light magic works, it needs to come from the heart and used to help not hurt."

"I promise." With that, she returned with Thomas to the others, enjoying just a bit more time in all of their company. Too quickly, though, the sun was sinking lower in the sky, signaling that Emma and Pip needed to make their way back towards the docks. She found her day's companion happily mooning over Harriet as he worked to fix the modest fence in front of the orphanage, and was sad to part them. Still she heard a promise from Pip that he'd make his way back someday, as soon as he could, to help with more.

Walking back, Emma allowed them a bit of quiet. She sensed Pip wasn't ready to discuss his day, perhaps he never would be and that was okay too. If anyone could relate to holding tightly to past memories of what-ifs and could-have-beens it was Emma. She only hoped that if Pip cared for Harriet, he had more means to make good on his promises. Then again, he wasn't a princess cast as the savior in a long foretold prophecy, so really, his odds were pretty damn good.

…..

Hours, that was how long Killian had taken up residence in the tavern across the way from the orphanage. He'd come here for business, but when that ended, he'd noticed what was happening outside and dug in to stay. Out of the murky window, he had the perfect view to the front of the house and he'd seen Emma playing with those children, giving them a perfect afternoon. She was even more lovely in the midst of all that dust and dirt than she was in the trappings of refinement, and more than once he'd felt a longing pang in his gut at the sight of her laughing and happy with children.

She was going to be an incredible mother someday, but the thought that she would be doing all of that with some pompous prince, or son of a lord had him seeing red. She was his, even if she wasn't. Emma owned him body and soul and he knew she cared for him, he saw it in her eyes every time she looked his way, even when she tried to put walls up between them. Yes the stars were aligned against them, but it made no difference, he was so tightly tangled up in her he couldn't break away.

Not until she and Pip left just before sunset, did Killian move from his perch, settling his bill and making his way straight to the orphanage. He intended to speak with the woman he'd noticed, no doubt the caretaker of all of these children, but before he could a young boy holding a book confronted him.

"If you're looking for Miss Emma, she's just left." How did he possibly know that Killian and Emma were aquainted?

"I was actually looking for the woman who runs this place. But how did you-" The boy raised a brow at him.

"You have light like her too. Not as much as her, maybe a little darker at parts, but it feels the same." That strange string of words hit Killian like a ton of bricks, but he didn't know why, not fully understanding what the lad meant, but then the woman he'd noticed before was outside once again, staring at him.

"May I help you?" She asked, slightly guarded no doubt from his appearance which was darker and more pirate like than Emma or Pip. She was brave though, at least brave enough to put the children between herself and him.

"My name is Captain Jones-" she let out an audible exhale before he continued on, which was strange.

"Sorry, it's just one of your sailors was here today. He spoke so highly of you, but just seeing you in person. Well… you're not what I expected." Killian scratched at his ear a little embarrassed.

"Aye. Well, you and your children have made quite an impression today, so please, take this and keep it safe." Killian handed her the sack of coins from his pocket and when she opened it up, Harriet looked near fainting.

"Captain Jones, I can't thank you enough! This is enough to get us through the next few years, to get the children their school things. Are you sure it's not too much?" He smiled at the woman, seeing why Pip had seemed so love struck in the glimpses he'd caught of the boy this afternoon.

"I only wish I had more to give you all." Her eyes welled up with tears, but he had no means to comfort her. Instead he took his leave, heading back down to the docks, feeling elated at the fact that he too had helped in some way. He knew Emma would be happy that the children would be provided for, but he decided not to tell her. No need to sing his own praises especially when he hadn't done it to impress her. He'd done it to be better for her, and that difference was a tell tale sign that he could in fact make the changes she deserved.

….

After the sun had slipped behind the waters, and the stars had begun to come out, under a nearly full moon, Emma began to feel a little bit of creeping sadness that her time in this port was over. She'd enjoyed herself today and had restocked on something critical – hope. She made a vow, that if she made it through all of this, each of those children would be brought back to the castle along with Harriet to enjoy a kinder life than one in this poor town could afford them, but in order to give them that, she had to go on with her mission and she had to win.

" _Miss Emma!"_ A loud whisper sounded right by her ear, but when Emma turned, there was no one beside her. It came again. _"Miss Emma, it's Thomas!"_ Emma looked over the railing and saw the boy in question with his book in hand standing on the docks. A fast learner indeed, he had used a spell to get her attention with discretion. She moved off the boat with the same level of caution until coming to stand before him

"Thomas, is everything okay?" The boy grinned, still a little out of breath from coming all this way, but he was clearly excited to tell her whatever came next.

"Miss Harriet said I could write to the fairies about a tutor! I showed her my magic a little while ago, but we've never had the money before to try and send the message or for me to leave and not help around the home, but Captain Jones gave us enough so I can try!"

"I'm sorry, did you say Captain Jones?" Emma's heart was pounding at the idea that Killian had known about her outing today and done something for those children.

"Yes, he came right after you. He had your light and he gave us all a chance. I think I like him almost as much as you." Emma smiled at Thomas' enthusiasm just as the cries of the crew informed her that they'd be shipping off soon. She had to go, but suddenly everything seemed so different.

"You said he has my light. What did you mean?"

"They go together. I don't know why, but they do. Sometimes that just happens."

 _And sometimes it's simply fated_ , a voice said in her head. Emma hugged Thomas goodbye and rushed up onto the ship once more. She waved goodbye to the boy as they pulled away and immediately found Killian.

"Can I speak with you for a moment? In private." Killian nodded, surprised at her eagerness to speak with him, but they moved below decks and into his cabin.

"Is everything all-" Before he could get the words out, Emma moved forward, pulling him down for a kiss. It caught him off guard but all he needed was a second before he gave in to it, providing Emma with everything she'd craved since the last time they'd kissed. Gone was the gentle sort of perusal of their childhood, and instead there was only heat and yearning and the rawest form of lust. The kiss was hot and heavy and incredible, and neither pulled back for quite a while, hating to think the moment would end. But end it did.

"Not that I'm complaining, but, um, why love?" Emma laughed at the way he seemed to revert back to his old self a little bit.

"Because even if you don't believe it, you're good and wonderful and worth kissing." He laughed at the last part, one hand running though her braided hair as the other rested on her hip. They were still so close, Emma just wanted to pull him back and fall into a hundred more kisses.

"So should I expect more private words with me to turn into moments like these?" Emma traced the place where his chest was exposed thanks to two undone buttons on his shirt lightly.

"Would you like them to?" She waited with bated breath to see if he'd be honest.

"Aye, love." The wave of pleasure that crashed through her at the words made her smile, but she still felt required to remind him of their reality.

"It's not a good idea." That was actually an understatement.

"I agree. It's a terrible plan to kiss a beautiful princess often and thoroughly." His playful tone softened the last of her resolve.

"Well, to bad ideas then." With that, Emma pulled out the flask of rum she'd noticed he kept in his jacket pocket and took a swig before him.

"I think we'll make a pirate out of you yet, love." Emma allowed herself a brief moment to imagine what it would be like to give everything up, and sail away along the high seas with him forever more. It was a strange and wonderful fantasy, but it could also never happen. Her only consolation was that at least, she could kiss away the pain again and again and again.

 _ **Post-Note: Just everyone please leave me here to drown in my feels. I wrote this chapter angry as all heck that I have already outlined this story and that I cannot get to the 'I love yous' or the smut yet. But alas, that will all come soon and I guess that the waiting for it will make it sweeter? I'm unconvinced, but there is in fact a happy ending coming and I can see the end of the story very clearly now, so that's definitely something. The M rating and the first of the smut will be here next week just so you all know, and like I said before, thank you all so much for reading! Hope you all have a great weekend!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: This chapter brings us to the night before Emma and Killian reach Elsa's castle. In Emma's mind everything will change once they get there, and before that happens, she decides that she wants a night of passion with Killian. With flashbacks to their last night together years ago and paralleling POVs, the chapter charts the course of that want and eventually ends in the earning of this story's M rating. I hope you all enjoy and thank you so much for reading!**_

Standing under an inky black sky, lit up only with pinpricks of starlight and the light of a waning moon, Emma allowed herself just a touch of reprieve. It wouldn't be long, she reasoned, she only needed a moment or two, but the days were slipping by too fast. Time was no longer on her side, instead it was her enemy.

In a matter of hours, they'd arrive in Arendelle, home of her dear friends Elsa and Anna, and the reality of her purpose, her call to action against the Evil Queen, would be at the forefront again. As soon as they reached land, the spell would break, the sort of pseudo life of seafaring she'd built aboard this ship would end, for even when she returned for the rest of her journey, she'd have her weapon in hand. She'd be marching towards a foe instead of a friend, and that change would be substantial. Emma would have to adjust and to give way to what she had to do over what she wanted.

Right now though, all Emma wished on every star in the night sky was for this to last. Whatever dream this was, however it had come to be, she didn't want to see it end. Her days here were filled with adventure on the open ocean, getting a taste of the world beyond her castle as she'd wanted to for so long, while her nights were filled with Killian. Only Emma was finding more and more that the resistance she put up, the wall that said she shouldn't surrender everything to him was crumbling. He never asked, never even hinted that he wanted to go further than they had, but when he touched her, when his hands made contact with her skin and his lips grazed against hers, she craved the whole world.

 _If I don't tell him now, when will I ever have the chance?_ Her mind had been chastising her with similar comments for days, bombarding her with questions about why she couldn't just give in, but still she hesitated. She loved Killian, and the increasingly evident truth, was that she would never love another man the way she loved him. Didn't she want her first time to be with him, then? Didn't she want to experience what it truly felt like to love the man she needed most of all, just in case things did go south when she faced off against Regina? The notions gnawed at her gut, stole the air right out of her lungs and nearly brought tears to her eyes, but Emma stayed strong, unwilling to break even though her emotions were so strong.

"I know that look all too well," Emma's heart leapt at his voice wafting through the wind as it made its way too her. She turned to find Killian, just as strikingly handsome as ever, but she kept her hands against the railing so as not to reach for him. Instead she tried to school her features, a last stand at hiding what she wanted most of all.

"Do you, Captain?" He nodded, coming to stand right beside her, so close their arms lightly touched, but he moved his hands to grip the railings just as she did. "Pray tell what do you think it means?"

"You're warring with yourself, telling yourself you're uncertain where to go, but you've already made up your mind. You have an intuition the likes of which I've never seen, love. Trust your instincts and they will not lead you astray." His faith in her, firm and unwavering had Emma closing her eyes. How could it be that a man like him, a sworn enemy of the law, living on the fringes of human decency as a pirate captain and a self-proclaimed outlaw, could know more about her than anyone else in the world? He saw through every mask, heard every truth behind the words and tones she chose so carefully. He was the first person to see her in so long, the first to know her past her title and her status, and the only person she'd ever met with the power to remind her of who she was underneath her duty and family name even in the face of a task like this.

 _Because he loves me as I love him_ , Emma thought and when she opened her eyes again, looking into his dark blue ones that were searching to see if she was truly all right, she knew it was true. Her instincts, those elements he had such faith in, were screaming at her saying that he was the one, the person she was made for, the one she'd never in a million years move past. She just had to be brave, to risk the logic in her head that told her love was a distraction, and that this was a mistake. It wasn't a mistake, loving him could never be, and in that understanding, Emma had an epiphany – she realized all this time she'd faulted her parents for loving too much, when clearly they'd had no choice in the matter.

Her feelings were beyond control when it came to Killian, and they'd only been reunited a matter of weeks. What would love like this be like after years of such an affliction? The thoughts of love and her family sparked a remembrance, one she couldn't have avoided even if she tried, and in an instant she relived the entire memory.

…

 _On the last night of Captain and Lieutenant Jones' visit with the royal family, the two men were invited for supper, and not the average banquet or ball held in honor of military servicemen, but a more intimate gathering, just of the royal family and themselves. It was to take place after Emma and Killian's first kiss, but before any more time was spent alone together._

 _Emma believed that all through dinner she'd be consumed with thoughts of Killian. She feared her ability to find words, so lost was she in how wonderful the kiss they'd shared had been. Despite her overwhelming excitement, and flurry of emotions, Emma had told no one, not even Tink, what happened, wanting to keep the moment just between the two of them for a while yet. But her instructor and friend saw through the tizzy of feeling as they made their way through the large hallway from Emma's chambers to the dining quarters downstairs. The fairy asked Emma directly what could cause her such happiness._

" _All this joy wouldn't happen to be coming with a young Lieutenant in tow, would it?" Tink's teasing should have forced a blush across Emma's cheeks, but none came. Instead Emma just smiled wider._

" _I think he's the handsomest man in the kingdom." Tink raised a brow at that._

" _Is that all you're looking for, Emma. A strapping young lad with muscles and a symmetrical face? There are plenty of those around." Emma rolled her eyes._

" _No of course not. Killian is kind, and thoughtful, and incredibly intelligent. You should have heard all of the things he spoke to Neal of yesterday. He's studied all the world's almanacs, knows more languages than I do-"_

" _But you're right, it doesn't hurt that he's so handsome." Now Emma blushed a bit, shaking her head._

" _No it doesn't." They'd made it to the big wooden doors that led to the dining room, the guards their honoring Emma with a bow before allowing her inside. While she'd expected to be early, Emma found that everyone was there before them, but immediately her eyes were drawn to Killian's._

 _Dressed in his regimentals, and standing straight at attention with his brother, he looked a bit more rigid than she liked. The only sense she got of the easygoingness of their newfound relationship was in his eyes, until she smiled and he did the same. Any tension in her own chest seemed to fade away, she could once more breathe easily, but soon she had to avert her eyes, to greet his brother and her family._

" _Emma, we were wondering when you'd get here, and look, we've saved you your favorite spot." Her father motioned happily to the seat just beside him and next to her brother Neal. At only six, he was so much smaller than everyone else, but so bright and well behaved. Emma knew he would blend naturally into the evening as he always seemed to do. Before she sat she tickled him slightly and listened to his laughter. It calmed any lingering nerves. No matter what, she knew she had her brother._

" _Training ran later than we expected, Your Grace," Tink supplied as she sat on Neal's other side near Snow and the Queen nodded._

" _Swords or magic?" Neal asked excitedly and Emma smiled._

" _What do you think?" Neal's answer was instantaneous._

" _Magic, because none of the guards came back looking badly beaten." They all laughed at that, as the first course was served, and conversation steered from Emma's personal schooling to their guests. Emma had learned a lot about the King that they served, and their intended journey to map out more of the uncharted worlds, but still, hearing Killian speak about his hopes for the trip made her heart skip. At one point, Liam spoke of the threat of pirates, and surprisingly it was Queen Snow who replied first._

" _I've never met any pirates before, but as a now retired bandit, I've always wondered if they're truly ruthless or just a bit elated from the freedoms of being an outlaw." Emma watched Liam and Killian's shock at the reveal that her mother was once an outlaw and stifled a laugh with her napkin. It really was a sight to behold._

" _You were a bandit?" Snow smiled at Killian's question._

" _Why, yes, for years actually. On the run from the Evil Queen, until a certain Prince Charming accosted me and pulled me back." Emma's father scoffed at her wording._

" _Oh please, you're the one who hit me over the head with a rock." Now Emma laughed out loud, for Killian's jaw had gone slack. His eyes looked to hers and soon his confusion turned to laughter too._

" _Tell the story from the beginning. No skipping the good parts." The subtle demand from Neal had her parents doing just that, explaining to the visiting sailors that Snow had been on the run, and that Charming had been engaged to another. The story was one Emma knew by heart, about how love had overcome lost memories, and sleeping curses, and most of all fear. They even ended in their favorite way, claiming they'd found a happily ever after together that had brought them Emma and Neal. Emma had felt a pang of loss at the words, for here was where she and her parents disagreed. This wasn't happily ever after; there was still too much pain in the world for that._

 _When Emma looked back up from glancing at her own hands where she'd tried to hide her disagreement, Killian's eyes were on her and Emma marveled again at how he always seemed to understand her, even when no one else did. There was no way he could comprehend the immensity of the problem, very few people knew the particulars of the prophecy that had been foretold at her birth, but in his brilliant blue eyes, she saw an extension of feeling. He was trying to tell her that he was there for her, and whatever it was she was worrying about would be okay. When she finally gave him a small smile, he turned back to her parents._

" _You're very lucky, to have found love in the face of strife as you did." Emma's parents looked at each other, all smiles from across the table._

" _We are, and we say it every day," Emma's father replied._

" _Oh boy, do they ever!" Neal's comment caused laughter once more, as dinner came to a close, and Emma would forever remember it as one of her favorite moments._

…

Killian had always known that the sea was a part of who he was. Ever since he was a young boy, he'd stood in awe of the vastness of the oceans, the way it covered the earth connecting most places and the way man had managed to travel it. No one could be the commander of the seas; that was not a man's job but a God's. They could, however, survive atop it, chasing adventures and outrunning storms.

Sailing held a life of excitement and purpose, and to a young boy who'd been abandoned in one way or another by his parents, and who had nothing but admiration for his sea-obsessed brother, a future on the water made for a wonderful dream. That dream finally came true when he and Liam enlisted as deckhands on a mercantile ship, and then a few years later joined the navy. Even now, with his brother long dead, and his regimentals done away with, he was a pirate, a man outside the law who still lived on open waters. Now he'd lived more of his life on a boat than off of one, this was the only thing he really knew.

The one constant in his life was the sea, it was a part of him and his story and that had always brought him comfort, but the pull it had over him was nothing to the force endearing him to Emma. He'd watched her from afar for a while tonight, under the light of the moon as she stared into the sea, seeking the comfort he had searched for himself many times before. She looked troubled and everything in him screamed at him to help her, even while reason told him it was a fool's errand. She was a princess and he was a pirate, it could never work. Still his heart won over his head in the end, and he'd made his way over.

Now he awaited her confession as to what was hurting her tonight. Was it her impending stop in Arendelle, or perhaps the larger quest she was on as a whole. Maybe she missed her family, and was debating whether she wouldn't be better off returning home. But when she looked into his eyes, conquering the fear he knew was in her heart, and turning those luminescent green irises his way, he knew it was bigger than tat. This had to do with them, the undeniable attraction surging between them. It filled his chest with pride that she cared for him, even if he never dreamed she could ever love him as he did her. It was enough that he mattered to her, at least in some capacity, and it drove him mad while also being the greatest joy in his life.

"You see me." Her words were a whisper and he turned to face her, his hand moving to the small of her back while the other moved to cover one of hers on the railing instinctively. It was improper, but hell if he cared. She wanted reassurance; he would damn well give it to her.

"Always, love. It's impossible not to." She shook her head.

"No, I mean you _see_ me, you know me, the real me. With you I can just be Emma, not the princess or the savior." Ah, now he understood her meaning, and yes it was true. More often than not he saw her as the woman who'd stolen his whole heart, giving no credence or thought to her title or riches at all.

"Aye, love. With me, you can be whomever you like, and in the end I'll still know you, just as you know me." She sighed, turning towards him and running her hand over his chest as she stepped slightly closer.

"I need to ask you to do something, Killian, and know that I'm not doing so without any thoughts or cares. Actually, I've thought of little else since our reunion..." He ran his thumb over the impossibly soft skin on her hands.

"Anything, Emma."

"Tonight, when we're in bed together, don't stop with kisses. Don't stop until you've given me everything and I've given you the same." The world halted in that moment, every hope and dread Killian had ever known crashing down upon him, he was euphoric and guilt ridden all at once. She was asking him for something he'd selfishly thought of for years, but surely she couldn't know the full extent of what she'd requested. She deserved better, and that thought prompted a memory from years ago that he hadn't reflected on since the day itself.

….

 _In the moments after their farewell dinner, where the royal family had excused themselves to gather proper walking attire, Killian and Liam were left in the front way of the castle. Underneath his skin, Killian felt tingles of pleasure and excitement. Another moment in the company of the Princess, another memory to make with Emma, the girl who'd captivated him, body and soul in less than three day's times. Truth was his love for her was instant, ever since she'd come to their ship and boldly inquired about who they were, but it had only blossomed from there, growing roots that could never be broken._

" _Tread lightly, little brother." Liam's words were harsh, clipped even and pulled Killian from the happy thoughts._

" _I don't take your meaning." Liam merely stared back at Killian before finally responding._

" _She's a princess, and you are a sailor. Ever wonder why there are no songs about such unions in the lore of old? Because such a coupling would never work. She's of a different world, a different breed entirely, made for ruling a people. Someday, you may Captain a ship, but you're a man of the sea, a warden of the waters. It's what you were both destined to be." His brother's words brought anger into Killian's heart. Why couldn't he let him have this, and further, why couldn't he understand that love didn't care about their worlds._

" _There's more to both of us than that, and destiny is not written in stone." Killian had to believe that, he had to hope that somehow this would be enough, and that the Gods would be kind enough to let him have her, even if it was in the future, after his service in the navy._

" _Ah, but it is brother. We are who we are all meant to be, and chasing her, loving her, will only bring you heartbreak." Liam's words fed the trickling of doubt in Killian's mind, but still he persevered._

" _I won't regret her, Liam, and I won't allow you to sully this for me." His brother crossed his hands over his chest._

" _So be it, but when it is over, for it must end, Killian, tonight, you will remember what I told you. Those who cross fate find nothing but pain, and it will be yours to bear, and yours alone." Without another word his brother moved outside, leaving Killian to stand there angry and confused until Emma made her appearance once more._

" _Where are your parents, Princess?" He asked, surprised to find her alone._

" _They've rethought their inclination for a walk. And your brother?"_

" _He's in a solitary mood at the moment." Emma nodded, as if she could possibly understand the interaction that had just happened. Still, when she offered him her hand, he took it readily, pressing a kiss to it before they went out into the night._

 _As they walked along the path he'd come to know so well, Emma calmed him, easing away the sting of Liam's words. Her laughter and the beautiful lilt in her voice when she spoke about anything and everything left him no choice but to heal. She was a vision, walking amongst the leaves in her yellow dress. She'd left her tiara behind, opting to let her beautiful golden hair fall freely, and once they came to rest on a bench inside the hedgerow, he reached out for a strand, feeling it's silky softness once more. As it had been this afternoon when they'd kissed, her hair was soft and silky. He tried to engrain the feel of it in his memory._

" _You're leaving tomorrow." Killian looked up into her eyes, to find them full of tears, his lovely princess, strong and fierce and brave as she was, was hurting because of him, he pulled her close, completely oblivious to whether or not they had any sort of audience._

" _Aye, love. I've a quest I can't stray from. I must serve my brother and my king." Emma nodded, wiping away the tears as she did so._

" _I know. You're good and honorable, and a man of your word." The hand that still held hers ran its thumb across her smooth skin in an even back and forth motion._

" _I try to be, Princess."_

" _Emma. I can't bear it when you call me princess. Any one else, but not you, please." He nodded, not wanting to upset her, not when they had precious little time left together._

" _Well, Emma, I heard it was your birthday in a few days time. I won't be there to see you on it, but I have this for you." Killian removed the silver chain and pendant from his pocket, where he'd kept it all morning. Etched inside was a Swan, a bird that was regal and beautiful, but wild and stubborn, just as he knew Emma to be. When he handed it to her, their fingers touched and he watched her eyes grow wide at the sight of it._

" _It's gorgeous. I love it, thank you Killian." He couldn't keep the silly grin off his face as she said the words, happy to have gotten something right but when she turned around he was surprised. Turning her head to peer at him over her shoulder she smiled. "Won't you help me put it on?"_

" _Oh – right – of course." With shaky hands he clasped the necklace together, placing it down along her neck and watching a shiver move through her at the graze of his fingertips. When she turned back around, her forefinger and thumb held the pendant close._

" _I will treasure it always, just as I'll treasure every moment I spent with you."_

" _There's not a day that will go by where I won't think of you Emma." The tears had returned to her eyes, and this time they fell past her cheeks, as Killian wiped them away._

" _Good." That was all she said before pulling him down to kiss her. How long they stayed there, Killian didn't know, but sometime later he heard his brother's call and pulled back. He would never be the same again, he might never feel whole again because he'd met her and was now set to lose her._

Those who cross fate find nothing but pain _. Liam's words sounded once more in his head and the barbs of truth and cynicism from his brother would stay with him for years to come. Still, even if he knew it to be true, he'd never be able to deny her, and would never ever give up a chance to be with her. She was heaven itself, and every moment in her presence was an incomparable pleasure he was too weak willed to ever walk away from. Life was better with Emma, his lovely Swan, by his side, no matter what the cost._

….

 _Now it's him who is warring with himself,_ Emma thought as she waited with bated breath for his reply. She'd asked him for so much, too much by the standards of propriety and… well everything really, but she still hoped beyond reason that he'd allow her this. She wanted nothing more than to take her moment, to feel everything with him, even if it was only just once. His features had gone stony, and Emma feared he might say no, until he seemed to return to himself.

"So, will you?" she asked softly.

"I will do as you wish, love." He pulled her from the upper decks down to his cabin with swift motions, and Emma could feel the adrenaline coursing through her. There was no nervousness here, much to her surprise, but longing so incredibly pure it couldn't be stifled. Since they would be sharing so much tonight, the least she could do was show him and make him see that to her, this might be the best memory she ever made in her whole life.

Once in the room, Killian locked the wooden door behind them and stepped towards her. Emma couldn't tell if he was completely in control, or completely lost to what coursed between them. He moved with grace but it wasn't restrained, closing the space between them until she was backed against the hard wooden wall and he stood inches away from her. His hands ran across her body and left trails of bliss in their wake even through her clothing. He warmed and chilled her all at once, firing off sensations inside her that Emma never knew existed. If she was already experiencing so much, how would she ever survive his making love to her?

"If we do this, Emma, we do this my way. Do you understand that?" She nodded, losing her words in the sight of the intensity in his gaze. His eyes had gone dark, he licked his lips as she watched and one of his hands came from her hip to run through his hair. Here were her signs that he was coming undone, and it charged every beat between them even more.

"Yes, I understand." The tick in his jaw eased as he bent down to kiss her. This kiss was nothing like the gentle perusals of their past few nights, but was raw and real and so demanding it stole Emma's breath. When he pulled back she instinctively followed, but he shook his head.

"Soon, Emma, just a bit of patience. If all we have is tonight, then it has to be perfect. You deserve nothing less." Emma's eyes welled with tears at his words. He was so good, so indescribably lovely, but his reminder that they'd only ever have tonight shook her to the core. She already missed him, and he was right here. His hand came up to cup her cheek. "Are you sure you want to do this, Emma?"

"I've never been more certain of anything in my life." Her words seemed to snap the last bit of conflict he had with this plan and soon his mouth was on hers again as his fingers worked to unbutton the top of her tunic. Pulling back, he lifted the garment off of her, his eyes honing in on the pendant just above her breasts.

"You kept it." His fingers went to trace the necklace he'd given her years ago, and she brought her hand to cover his.

"Always. It's the best gift anyone's ever given me." He was at a loss for words, Emma could tell as he took her mouth with his, more heated kisses passing between them while they removed every article of clothing that stood between the two of them.

Getting her hands on all of the leather he wore, and removing all his layers filled Emma with a determination she'd never known. She felt such power at her fingertips with every touch she gave him that seemed to drive him wild. Every groan, every plea that passed his lips, even the strangled commands he gave, all fueled a fire in her that burned brighter than even her white magic. When she'd taken his aching cock in hand and tightened her hand around it, he groaned aloud, forcing her hand away.

"Enough, love, if you continue perusals like that much longer, I won't last." Emma pouted a bit at the thought that she should have to stop, but then he'd maneuvered them to the bed, spreading her down atop the blankets as he came above her. "You are truly the most beautiful woman I have ever known." Emma flushed with pleasure at the compliment and when his kisses moved from her mouth down her jaw to her neck, and his hands moved over the smoothness of her stomach down to her hip and across her thigh, she moaned aloud.

Eventually his fingers made contact with her sex, and though Emma wasn't thoroughly naïve, having pleased herself before in the privacy of her bed chambers only ever to thoughts of him, the shock of the pleasure that his fingers afforded her still caught her off guard. Her hands tightened on his biceps as she squeaked out his name.

" _Killian_!" She could feel him grin against her neck only to come back up and kiss her lips once more. He pulled back slightly and whispered to her.

"Like that, do you love?" She could do nothing but let out a moan as his thumb found her clit, swirling with just the right pressure to have her arching closer.

"Yes, but I need more." He heeded her desires, inserting a finger into her in rhythm with his thumb and soon she was soaking in that pleasure that only came with carnal release. She'd never imagined that it could feel this good, this incredibly wonderful. As she'd fallen apart, Killian had pulled away to watch her and now, looking in his eyes, Emma saw nothing but raw sensuality.

" _Mine_." He growled the words as he kissed down her body, biting along her skin but never to the point of pain. With each nip, he'd then lave the spot with his tongue after in a sort of soothing gesture. Emma's hands tangled in his hair as his mouth came down to her breast, taking her achingly hard nipple inside as the hand he'd just used to please her came up to tease the other. She groaned and then he swapped attentions, until Emma thought she'd come just from his ministrations there. As she neared the edge though, he kissed lower, leaving the same rough kisses along her stomach, along with the scratch of his beard, down until he'd spread her out wide and hoisted her up so he could look at her intimately. It was the first time she'd thought to be nervous or embarrassed, but he wouldn't allow it.

"Gods you're just as stunning down here, love. Tell me your mine, Emma. My Swan, no one else's." It was the only truth she knew in this moment – that she was completely and irrevocably his.

"Yours, always yours." His mouth descended on her wanting core and soon his tongue was kissing her with more ferocity than he had even kissed her mouth. It was all together too much and not enough, but when his fingers joined in the fray she was lost, powerless to fend off the immense wave of pleasure that followed. She expected him to return to her when it passed but instead he remained, hell bent on doing it all over again.

"Killian, I don't think I can-" He pulled back and interrupted her.

"You'll take everything I give you, Emma. My way, remember?" Yes, she did, but what if his way killed her from an overdose of bliss. No one should ever feel this alive, this gone with lust and love and every good feeling. When he'd pushed her into a third climax, he finally kissed his way back up her body, tenderly.

"Killian, I should tell you that I've never done this before."

"You're untouched? A virgin?!" She nodded and watched as he ran a hand through his hair. "Bloody hell, I won't survive this! I don't want to hurt you, Emma." Emma pulled him closer though, unwilling to let him turn back now.

"I need you. It has to be you, only you." The turmoil in his eyes melted into peace. With that he lined his cock up with her entrance and moved in slowly, inch by inch. There was pressure, so much pressure, but none of the pain she'd come to expect, and when she'd finally taken him in and grown accustomed to his length, she urged him to move. It was perfect, nothing in the world could ever compare, and as they came together everything else fell away from them. It was just the two of them here; nothing else mattered. When she shattered soon thereafter, he followed suit, holding her close when they were finished. He peppered her with kisses all over, reverent and loving and magnificent.

"That was…" He began, before Emma filled him in.

"Perfect. Truly and undeniably perfect." She ran her hand across his face and watched him smile. The boy she'd loved was here with her, as was the man he'd become in their time apart, and the mix made a person so ideal Emma hated to look away. Still, sleep would come, and demanded that she succumb to it. Her eye lids grew heavy, her breathing evened until finally she closed her eyes and nestled in beside him. She felt a kiss at her forehead and thought she might have heard a quiet whisper from Killian as she fell under.

"My Swan, my love, my light." Smiling, but unable to reply, Emma fell into a sleep filled with dreams of a world without darkness, without evil queens and prophecies and the like. All there was instead was love and laughter, light and peace, and through it all, Killian was there just beside her.

 _ **Post-Note: To put it mildly, I have a lot of feels from writing this. It's been such an interesting AU to tackle, but this chapter in particular, I knew I had to be careful with since it would be so charged with emotion. If you are a reader of my other fics, you know by now that this will never be their only night. Hell, by the end of next chapter they'll have done away with that notion. Next chapter will also bring Elsa and Anna, and the reveal of what the weapon Emma intends to use is. I hope you guys enjoyed this installment enough to continue on with me next time and thereafter. As always, thank you for reading and for all your kind words and support!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: This chapter has Emma finally reaching Anna and Elsa. Side note – I realized while writing today that I have been messing up Misthaven and Arendelle, so I have subsequently gone back and changed the references to Anna and Elsa's kingdom to Arendelle instead. I can't believe I messed that up as long as I did, but oh well! The rest of the chapter includes cute Emma and Killian moment, a bit of smut, and some more background on how Emma plans to stop the Evil Queen and what life after such a victory might look like. Thank you guys for reading and I hope you enjoy!**_

For years Killian had considered himself unflappable, a man not ruled by emotions but by what was smart and what would get him and his men farther, richer and more powerful. Nothing that crossed his path deterred him, not until Emma. In the light of day after a night spent making her his, Killian was reborn. Being with her had healed him in so many ways, but the rift between them was beginning to blossom. They had had their moment, and if they were to commit to what they'd said, if they were to keep it just one night, then there was a sad reality he had to face – Killian Jones had already lived the best day of his life.

Nothing else would compare to holding her as he had, to making love to her with all her passion and fire and warmth. Emma was the sun, and when she went away, for that had always been the plan, Killian would fade back into the darkness. Only this man, the one she'd touched last night and this morning, the one on the receiving end of her beautiful smile even now on the upper decks of the _Jolly Roger,_ was different. Life in the shadows and on the outskirts of goodness would never satisfy him. He'd been in her light, and after her, when she no doubt went on to the life she deserved, he'd try to chase such illumination, however he could find it.

"What is that?" Killian heard Emma ask Pip. The lad didn't seem to know, but Killian looked to the item bobbing in the water and knew what it was. It was a bottle, and if his eyes were serving him faithfully, there was parchment inside. Before he could offer to have someone fish it out for her, Emma was flicking her wrist and using a puff of white magic to summon the object to her. Within seconds she had the green glass bottle in hand, and was unsealing it.

As Emma read the words on the page, her brows knit together. Confusion and concern coupled into one expression, but when her eyes came up, they were directed to Killian. He made his way towards her, bidding Pip to leave before gently placing his hand on her arm.

"You heard, I'm sure about the King and Queen of Arendelle." It would have been impossible not to. For the leaders of a prominent kingdom to have died in such away, swallowed by a freak storm that had been there one minute and gone the next, was something that never could have escaped the grape vine amongst sea faring folk.

"Aye, love, I did."

"The ship they were on…"

" _The Laconia_." Emma's eyes closed and now Killian was truly worried, but she handed him the parchment. There was a message from the ship in question. They'd been attacked, and the letter said the assailant was _'Darkness Herself.'_ "So this means-" Emma filled in before he could finish his musing.

"They could be alive. _'Darkness Herself'_ could be Regina. If it was just a storm, or something they didn't know they'd say _'itself'_ right?" Killian had to admit her reasoning made a lot of sense. It seemed a basic form of encoding. He nodded his agreement, but noticed Emma shaking. Placing his other hand on her waist, he worked to steady her.

"Whatever has happened, we can handle this love. For better or worse, we'll get to the bottom of it." Emma nodded, letting go of a heavy breath before the cry of a gull caught her attention. The sliver of land in the distance had grown substantially, but to Emma, the animal's appearance was more than that, it was an opportunity. With magic again she lulled the bird down to her, created a paper message and attached it to the gull's leg, sending it off with clear instructions to find Princess Elsa.

"And that will really work?" Killian asked, not skeptical per se, but certainly curious. Emma laughed, in spite of all the emotion of the moment, or maybe because of it.

"Well I don't usually use my magic to make my own carrier pigeons, but yes, it should." Killian smiled at her, proud even of the small display of her powers. She was so confident in them, even more so than when they'd met and he was happy to see it. He knew it hadn't always been easy for her, and that her status sometimes made her feel too different. He only hoped that she could see herself as he saw her, which was perfect just as she was.

"You're very impressive, love." Emma smiled, a bit of a blush crossing her cheeks, which sent a happy sort of zing through Killian.

"I'm just me." He nodded at that.

"I know, and that's what's so spectacular." Before he could lose himself too much more in her, Killian stepped back, forcing himself to return his attentions to the crew. They would be docking shortly as they were nearly at the port, and for his sanity, and for Emma's reputation, Killian needed to remove himself from her immediate circle. It was easily one of the most difficult tasks he'd faced in recent memory.

Within the hour they were docked, but much to his and the crew's surprise there was no one to greet them aside from two women, whose royal garb informed him that it was the Queen and the Princess. No guards were with them, or suitors of any kind. It prompted Killian to believe that Emma's note had pleaded for discretion. He expected her to rush off the boat but instead she moved from her place at the bow up to him and spoke low.

"I was only expecting to spend an hour here, for I don't think it's the safest place to be but…" Killian's throat clenched at the thought of Emma at risk and away from him. Instead of putting his own worries on her though he spoke calmly.

"But circumstances have changed. I understand, love, we'll wait as long as you require." Emma gave a small smile.

"I'll still be back by nightfall." Relief flooded through him as he made a small bow to her, only to realize that Queen Elsa and Princess Anna were both gaping at the _Jolly_. Before Emma could make her way off the ship, Killian watched Princess Anna excitedly whisper something to her sister and Elsa hesitated just a moment before nodding. With a wave of her hand, the Queen made an icy staircase up to the deck and she and the Princess were aboard.

"Bloody hell," Killian muttered and Emma gave him a look. "Sorry, love, it's just my ship is taking quite a hit with all the royal company we're now keeping." She rolled her eyes, an action that brought laughter to his chest, but he covered up his smile, staring ahead to their new arrivals.

"Emma! It's so good to see you, even if it's in such an… unexpected way." Where Killian expected chilliness (no pun intended) from the Queen, he found none as she hugged Emma. Her smile was genuine even when she looked about the decks. She seemed purely interested that Emma should have been prompted to travel with pirates.

"It's good to see you too. I'm glad you got my note. Given the situation, I think it's best to keep my arrival quiet." Killian had been so fixated on Emma and her conversation, he'd largely missed the approach of Princess Anna until she was just upon him.

"So… you must be the infamous Killian Jones. Nice outfit."

"Anna!" Queen Elsa yelled when she heard her sister. Killian meanwhile could only grin, liking that his reputation preceded him.

"What? This is way better than what our navy lieutenants wear. I'm just saying he's upgraded, that's all." The Queen looked perplexed while Emma bit back a smile directed at Killian.

"I appreciate the flattery, Princess."

"See, he's fine. Pirate's can take a compliment, Elsa." Elsa straightened her spine and pointed to the staircase, prompting Anna to exit the ship as Elsa and Emma did the same. Once she was on the dock, Elsa removed the icy connector as Emma looked up to Killian one last time.

 _Tonight_ , he reminded himself. _She'll be back here safe again tonight._

…

"I've already put safeguards into place. There's a whole path to the archives that's been cleared. No one will see you, but just in case." Elsa offered Emma a beautiful blue cloak with the Arendelle insignia on it. Emma wrapped it around her shoulders happily, the bit of chill in the palace a nice offset to how sunny and warm it had been on the ocean the past few weeks.

"Thank you, both of you, for seeing me." Anna looked a little uncomfortable, and Emma wasn't really surprised. The youngest sister always wore her heart on her sleeve, and had never been very good at holding back a question. That habit stayed true today too.

"Emma, why did you run away from home?" Getting into things so quickly was a good thing, but it still caused a tightness in Emma's throat to think about home.

"My parents told you?" Elsa and Anna nodded.

"We received a message wondering if you'd come here. They are so worried, Emma, why did you leave?"

"Because they were keeping me from my destiny. Have you heard the stories, the ones that says they'll be a savior that will finally rid this land of the Evil Queen?" Elsa and Anna said they had, understanding dawning on them as they did.

"Emma, are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm certain." Elsa took Emma's hand in hers.

"What can we do? You mentioned the archives. What's down here that you need?" Emma pulled from her bag a well-worn book with old magical runes on the cover. Opening to her marked page she showed them.

"The Moirai's Mist. It's kept in a crystal sphere and it's last known location was in –"

"The caverns of Arendelle!" Both sisters filled in excitedly. Anna continued talking. "It is here. Our parents…" Anna trailed off, suddenly deflated, so Elsa took her arm and continued.

"They found it when we were younger, after I'd started doing my magical tutoring. The fairies said it was best to know what kind of magic we had in our kingdom and where to find it. So our parents made this room that the fairies then protected so we had it all here to keep safe." Elsa moved over to a large cabinet, opening its wooden doors and pulling out the sphere in question. She dared not touch it, keeping the fabric that was found with it between her skin and the ball as she handed it to Emma, who wasn't governed by the same fear.

Once the crystal touched Emma's skin, the orb glowed a bright white before settling into a beautiful gold color. Emma sighed, a show of her relief. If lore held true, this was precisely the sign she needed. Though the mist wasn't fully understood by the magical scholars who'd written about it in her book, Emma knew that she needed this. She'd had visions of a hazy golden light, just like the one the orb had emitted, for months, and all her research showed that Moirai's Mist brought resolution and healing to those who stood on the side of goodness. It could boost power and protect, though Emma was fuzzy on the particulars of how. Nevertheless, she trusted her visions and her intuition, which both pointed her to this particular vein of magic.

"A golden heart is a heart of good!" Anna recited the old proverb cheerily and Emma nodded, before placing the orb back in her bag where she'd keep it until she had time to study it better later. When Emma pulled out the bottle she'd just fished out of the sea, and handed it to the sisters, confusion crossed their features.

"Oh, Emma, that's nice of you but you didn't have to get us anything." Emma shook her head at Anna's words, trying to find the right thing to say in this moment.

"I plucked this out of the water not far from shore. I think you two need to see it." With care, Elsa opened up the container and read the note, a whole host of emotions crossing her features. By the end, the parchment had frozen solid in her hand and Emma took that as a sign of great distress from the usually in control Elsa.

"Our parents – this note is in my mother's hand!"

"How is that possible? It was a storm! They might be alive?!" As was to be expected, Emma's friends were in the grips of such extreme emotion that they couldn't make heads or tales of the letter yet. Elsa looked up to Emma and asked her what she thought. Emma readily explained what she and Killian had believed _'Darkness Herself'_ meant.

"I'm coming with you, Emma. To fight her and end her reign forever more." Emma shook her head. Elsa, well meaning as she was, and loyal to her family, would only be a liability.

"Elsa no. It has to be me, just me. I can't imagine what you're feeling, but I promise, if your parents are alive, I will do everything I can to save them. To save all the Queen's prisoners." Anna nodded.

"She's right, Elsa. The orb chose her, she's the savior, and she can save our parents. You're needed here. We both are." Elsa finally nodded, giving her silent agreement, but she moved to another corner of the room, pulling from a mantel a small vile two flat stones. They glowed a deep blue color and Elsa handed one to Emma.

"Ice fire?" Emma was shocked at potion before her. It was so rare and hard to make that Emma hadn't even dared to do so, but just one drop along the blade of her sword would create a sort of shield that would protect her from any of the Queen's magical attacks even while she fought. It should, in theory, have the ability to absorb the power of Regina's favored fireballs, thus weakening her to a level where she could be overcome.

"Yes, it'll serve you better than anyone in this kingdom. And these stones are enchanted. All you have to do is speak a message to the stone and it will appear to me on my end and vice versa. Use this when you find my parents or if you find you do need help." Emma nodded, placing the stone and the vile in her bag as well. With that, the three of them moved from the archives along the same corridor and into one of the drawing rooms in the palace.

Emma wondered what she should do now. Elsa and Anna had each other, and seemed far stronger in the face of this news than she had thought they might. Would it then be best for her to return to the ship so as to get to Regina faster and by extension to the truth about Anna and Elsa's parents? Or would they still like her to stay a while, allowing her the chance to talk about what she'd been through in the last two weeks? Thankfully, Anna diffused that worry for Emma nearly immediately.

"Would it be completely inappropriate for me to ask how life is as an honorary pirate? I mean, when you pulled up today looking like this, with them looking like that, I couldn't believe it!" Emma smiled, shaking her head.

"I've never felt freer." Elsa patted Emma on the shoulder, offering her a genuine smile. Elsa knew from her correspondence with Emma through the years that the war had taken a toll on Emma. She always felt cooped up, like a bird unable to fly, but Killian and her time on the ship had changed that, at least for a little while.

"And it certainly doesn't hurt that you get to look at Captain Gorgeous everyday." Elsa's jaw dropped as she scolded Anna.

"Anna, you can't just say things like that!"

"Why? You two love each other right? It's obvious that you do, I didn't even have to know about your history to see it today. His eyes never left yours, and you didn't want to leave him. You haven't seen us in years, and part of you was still sad to go." Emma blushed, not realizing how on display she had been during all of this.

"Is that true, Emma?" Elsa asked, no judgment in her voice.

"I do, love him I mean." Both of her friends looked joyous, but Emma added hastily that it would never work. "I can't love him as much as he deserves. I need a completely clear head to face Regina. If I let myself fall for someone like my parents did, all of this, all of my training will be for nothing."

"Emma, you're making it sound like love is a weakness, which just isn't true. It's a strength."

"No, it's both. I can use my love to fight for what's right, but if Regina finds out, what will happen to Killian? What if the choice comes down to saving him or saving the realm? How could I ever choose?" Emma's voice broke at the tail end of her words and Elsa came over to hug her.

"Emma, you don't have to choose. You're the savior, and whether you believe it or not, you can do this. Fight Regina and win, and when all of this is over, be with Killian. Just promise me you won't give up on him, because you love him, and love should never be tossed aside. It's a gift, that not many people truly get to have."

For whatever reason, Elsa's assurances calmed Emma. She began to think that maybe she was right. Emma could use the love she had for Killian to empower her, to get her through to victory and then she could be with him. Well, theoretically – he still had to say yes, and choose her as she was now willing to choose him, but she hoped more than anything that he would.

"Go to him, Emma," Anna said with a smile. "But not yet. Because I bet you guys don't have anything on the ship nearly as good as the ice cream and hazelnut cake that we have in the kitchens. Come, I think we all deserve the treat." The three women laughed, and Emma felt the tears and tension subside. Soon enough she would see Killian, and soon enough she would speak her truth to him.

…

Everything reminded Killian of Emma. All afternoon since she'd left to speak with the Queen and Princess he'd tried his very best to focus on anything but Emma, but he'd only failed miserably. Ordering the men to complete their work had the ghost of Emma's voice chastising him in his head to be just a bit kinder. It wasn't their fault after all that he was on edge because she'd left. Eating lunch had only prompted Killian to think of how Emma had improved life here for every man. And right now, as he gazed at the setting sun along the water, he only saw it as a pretty sight that didn't hold a candle to his Swan.

"Can I get you something, Captain? Some rum, maybe?" Killian knew that Pip meant well with his inquiry, but he shook his head. No, none of his old vices could serve substitute for what he truly wanted. The boy lingered and Killian arched a brow.

"Something else I can help you with, lad?"

"Just don't hurt her." The show of bravery from his deckhand of all people showed Killian the true influence Emma had over people, and where he should have been affronted and perhaps even angry, he merely laughed.

"Is that an order?" Pip shook his head, knowing better than to press his moment of insubordination. Before Killian could tell him not to worry though, the happy rumblings of the crew alerted him to Emma's presence. As she stepped on the ship, he felt a piece of himself return into place and, without thinking much of it Killian walked to her immediately.

"So what did I miss?" Emma asked with a happy smile, relief in her features. Killian's response circumvented words, opting for action instead. He pulled her to him, kissing her deeply, completely forgetting that he was in front of his crew, and Queen Elsa and Princess Anna who were on the dock. It wasn't until there was a rowdy cheer from both segments of their audience that Killian pulled back mortified. Running a hand through his hair he began to apologize.

"Princess, I'm sorry I shouldn't have –" pulling him down by the collar of his jacket Emma kissed him this time, and her action removed any thought of resistance from Killian's mind. When she finally pulled back she smiled.

"Call me Princess one more time and I will not be responsible for my actions." Killian smiled.

"Aye, love. I'll heed your warning."

"Kiss her again!" The entreaty from Princess Anna pulled a groan from Emma who called down over the side of the boat.

"I can advocate for myself, thank you very much Anna!" Emma turned her eyes back to Killian's and whispered so only he could hear her. "And later I will definitely do so. But right now, we've got an ocean to get back to."

"Right you are love." With that, Killian gave orders to his men to get them out of port as Emma waved goodbye to her friends. Where Killian had expected sadness in Emma's features he found none, and in his own breast he found nothing but hope that maybe the words they'd said last night were no longer true. Perhaps Emma, magical and miraculous as she was, had reconsidered and her kiss meant she wanted more. Surely anything she desired he would give her. All she had to do was ask.

Not long after, Killian noticed Emma moving to the lower decks, and instinctively he followed. Finding her perched on the edge of his bed, Killian was surprised to find she looked a little worried. When he entered she came to stand and immediately began talking.

"About last night, I don't want it to be a one time thing." Killian had never felt so happy in all his days. He moved forward, one hand coming to rest on her hip, while the other cupped her cheek.

"You don't?" Emma shook her head. "What's changed your mind?"

"I don't want to hide. Not from you. Killian I – God how do I say this?" Killian's thumb brushed across her lip lightly, and he decided in that moment to give her comfort.

"You can say anything, Emma, for nothing will change the way I love you." Her eyes grew wide at his statement.

"You love me?" The wonder in her voice was undeniable, and his momentary fear at having confessed it faded away.

"Aye, love."

"Well then that actually makes my confession a lot easier," Emma said smiling, though happy tears formed in her eyes. "Because I love you too."

Killian would never be able to understand how such a thing could happen, how a woman as truly wonderful as Emma could find in him a man worth loving, but he'd never even for a moment take it for granted. Taking her into his arms, Killian never wanted to let her go until she added that removing her clothes would be a far greater challenge with so little room between them. Killian's amazement at her loving revelation was coupled with hunger in a second.

"Allow me, love." He took great care in removing each garment from her person, revealing more and more for his perusal in the process while she did the same with him. It was the most natural thing in the world, for them to shed away these layers until only they remained, and now everything was only heightened by their spoken truth. When they were both bare, Killian moved them to the bed and went to work, worshipping each and every inch of her body.

Reveling in the sound of Emma's heightened wanting, Killian made mental note of each and every response Emma had. Last night he'd been interested in making the most of the little time they had together to show Emma how good things could be between the two of them. Now he was studying so as to know every detail of her desire intimately. He wanted more than her satisfaction, he wanted her to undergo the same sort of revelation she'd forced him into. Branding her with the intensity of their love would mean that someday, when circumstance pulled them apart as it no doubt would, she would never forget this. He wanted to be seared so deep in her soul that she'd carry him with her, just as he'd take every gasp and moan and subtle arching towards him with him all the rest of his days.

"Killian!" His name on her lips as she gave into the sensations and anticipated her pleasure when he'd made his way down to peer at her sex sent a surge of pride through him. He'd already drawn her to climax with his fingers here, but he wanted to remind her just how much she'd grown to love his mouth.

"What do you want, love?" She groaned, no doubt frustrated that he even paused to ask, but there was something about her words that drove him crazy while also soothing the ache that struck him to his core. Emma was a woman ruled by truth, a person who meant what they said, and so to hear that she loved him or wanted him or needed him meant all the more from her than it ever could from another.

"I want you!" He chuckled, biting at her inner thigh just to run his tongue over the offending spot when she jumped slightly.

"You have me, Emma." She shook her head, eyes closed, overcome with too much feeling. "Look at me, Emma, and tell me exactly what you need." Her eyes opened and in their green depths was so much unbridled love and lust it took his breath away.

"Take me like you did last night. Make me feel like you did then." He growled, partially in approval, partially indignant. Oh he'd take her, but it would be far and away better than it had been before. He'd learned her body well, he knew what she needed and what she craved most of all. With just the right display of licks and sucks and attention at her clit, Killian had her falling over the edge with deft quickness but as he had the night before he didn't move away, pushing her to that edge over and over again.

"Killian, please, I need more." Returning to her he intended to give her just that, but he surprised her by flipping their positions and urging her to straddle him. He could see the bit of hesitancy in her eyes.

"I need more too, Emma. I need to watch you fall apart because you took what you needed from me. I need you to need me." She bent to kiss him, no doubt tasting herself on his tongue.

"I'll always need you." The words set him on fire, as he lined her up with his aching cock and she began to understand exactly what he'd meant about taking for herself. The rhythm she wanted was demanding and blindingly fantastic, causing him to hold on for dear life until he brushed against her clit causing her to shatter. Only then did he allow himself that same release, struck yet again by how powerful all of this was.

"I love you," she whispered later as they held each other close before placing a kiss just above his heart. Killian's hold around her tightened.

"As I love you, Swan." As he held her close, Killian ran his fingers across her body, tracing unintended patterns on her skin. She was his and he was hers, in this moment and forever, no matter what may lie ahead.

…...

Finding love in a time of chaos, now where had she heard a story like that before? Emma smiled in spite of herself and despite the trickling of fear that still existed. For so long she had heard the tales of the bandit and the shepherd who through all sorts of twists of fate had found happiness in the midst of darkness, but she'd found it slightly ridiculous. How did someone forget their duty and their purpose so quickly in the name of love? Emma could now empathize more than ever with how it was possible, since she was so near losing them herself.

A few days had passed since Emma and Killian had confessed how they felt for each other, and since their kiss in front of the crew on the docks in Arendelle, they'd taken no caution to hide that they cared from each other in the light of day. It had given Emma peace like she'd never imagined, to love and be loved and to tell at least a small portion of the world that it was true. But the threat of what was coming still loomed over everything. This happy spell of peace and quiet would end, and reality would saunter back into the forefront. That was just the way things were meant to be.

"Are you alright, love?" Killian asked wrapping his arm around her waist and then waiting until she looked into his eyes.

"If I was someone else - anyone else - I would stay here with you forever. We could sail the seas and go wherever the wind took us. No cares, no worries." Killian shook his head.

"If you were anyone but exactly who you are, you wouldn't be the woman I love." How could Emma keep the tears from coming with statements like that? Killian always knew what to say, and just how to be there for her. He never pressured her to choose him over her mission, never demanded more from her than she could give. All of this sadness was on her end, because the problem was that she wanted to give him everything, and until this trial was over, until Regina was dethroned, she couldn't do that.

"I have to face her, and it's coming soon. When it does, all of this will end. Just promise me, that if I make it –"

"You _will_ make it." Killian kissed her forehead after his interruption, unwilling to let her second guess herself. She nodded.

"When I do what needs to be done, will you be here? Will you still love me?"

"I will love you until the end of time, Emma. Don't let that be a burden of worry for you right now. Nothing will change that. You own me, heart and soul." Emma wanted to reply that he owned her too, all of her, but it wasn't the truth. He had everything she could possibly give him, but someday a day far sooner than she might be ready for, the world would ask for that little part she couldn't give him. She'd have to defeat an Evil Queen to get that part of who she was back under her control.

"I wonder if Tink knew." Killian's brow rose at Emma's seemingly random comment.

"Tinkerbelle your tutor?" Emma nodded, her hand coming to rest over his heart.

"I wonder if she knew when I left that I'd be forever changed by this, by the way you love me and the way I love you." Killian smiled.

"You can ask her soon enough love." The question didn't need asking though, for any student of magic would know that true love, which Emma was sure her feelings for Killian signaled, was bound to change the lives of the people it touched. It was, after all, the purest form of goodness and light in all the realms.

 _ **Post-Note: There we have it. We are officially half way through with my intended chapters, and that much closer to our eventual confrontation. As you all know, I am a writer who believes in showing A LOT of the happily ever after, so the conflict with Regina won't happen in the last or second to last chapter, but will actually begin in the next installment. I hope you guys like this and the future chapters and that you all have a lovely weekend!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Okay, I just want to start by saying this is the angstiest chapter I have written for any of my fics up to this point. Seriously, so many feels, but it had to happen. This is always how I have intended the story to go. For those of you who are like me and hate being left with no happy resolution, I want you to know that I fully understand, and because of that, I am uploading the next chapter (which will end this little bought of suffering) either tomorrow or Saturday. I will not judge you or take offense if you wait to read this chapter until then, but I did want to warn you all, since this is not my usual MO. Whenever you read this, just know the pain will be worth it in the end!**

Stirring awake well before dawn, Killian needed a moment to get his bearings. He'd just been in the clutches of a horrible dream in which the Evil Queen managed to take his ship and capture Emma in the process. His return to alertness was harsh, his breathing labored, his veins pulsing with pure adrenaline, but what struck him was the strangeness of his surroundings. Where he'd expected nothing but darkness and perhaps just a sliver of the moon's light through the small window, there was so much more.

His chambers were flooded with a strange sort of silvery mist, and as he rubbed his eyes, the foreign matter didn't disappear. Its source seemed to come from within Emma's bag sitting on a chair across the room, which prompted him to wonder if it stemmed from the crystal ball she'd recovered in Arendelle. The _Moirai's Mist_ , she'd called it. Killian looked at it the swirling pattern a little closer and realized the vapor was moving in his direction. It avoided Emma who slept beside him, and so he had to wonder if the magic wasn't meant for her, but for him.

" _Evil is coming. Save the Savior."_ The whisper sounded through the small space, and though soft it was clear enough to send a chill down Killian's spine. Instincts that he didn't understand prompted him to exit the bed and move towards the source of the mist despite its foreboding presence. Pulling the crystal sphere from Emma's bag, he was temporarily blinded by a flash of white light and then flooded with visions straight out of his nightmare. It was a warning, and it had been sent for him, from where he did not know.

"Killian?!" The brightness of the light roused Emma, who sat up on the bed, staring at him in wonder.

"You have to go, Emma. Now." Emma shook her head, not understanding.

"What do you mean, I can't-" Killian interrupted her, pulling her from the bed and grabbing her things.

"Emma there isn't time. You're in danger. The Queen knows you're here, or she very soon will. You have to leave, we have to get you away from here!" Emma reached her hand out to steady him, for by this point his whole body shook with raw energy.

"The mist told you that?" Killian nodded. "I don't understand, I don't even know how it works, I'm not ready. And I can't just leave you! If she's coming here – I put you at risk, I put everyone at risk!" Her voice cracked with emotion, and her hand reached out, her fingers clutching at the shirt he wore like a vice. All he could think was that they hadn't had nearly enough time, but it didn't matter. The only thing he cared about was getting her off this bloody ship in time.

"Emma I'm not asking your permission. I won't see you captured and facing her before you're ready. I can give you a few minutes more, but she'll be here at first light and it's coming. I need to get my men, I need to find the ones I trust most to see you safe, love."

"It wasn't supposed to happen like this." Tears streamed down Emma's face, and Killian couldn't help but pull her to him, wrapping her up in his embrace. This was the most fear he'd ever felt in his life, and it was attacking him at the very moment that his heart was breaking. Chances were, this was the end, the last time he'd ever hold the woman he loved in his arms. He didn't have the strength to say goodbye, but if he didn't find it she would die.

"I know, love, but you have to keep going. Promise me you'll not give up, no matter what happens." He could feel her sobs against his chest, his hand coming to run through her hair as he held her close. Every wracked breath, every tear drop that stained his chest gutted him, but he held her all the same, trying to give her just this last bit of comfort. Evetually she nodded and whispered that she would keep on fighting. That was enough for him, and it was all the time he could afford them right now.

"Gather all your things, Emma. Time is of the essence." Tearing himself away, Killian felt physical pain in their separation, but was driven primarily by seeing her safe and out of the harm that was no doubt coming. He gathered the men who had proven themselves time and time again in his service (who would be led by Smee), and informed that given their current location, the best chance at Emma's safety was to sail just a little farther north. They were but a few kilometers away from where her parent's naval ships surveyed, and any man in Misthaven colors would see her safe.

Young Pip was also selected for the group so as to spare the boy an audience with the Evil Queen, and to give Emma a person she truly cared for to see her off. Killian gave the lad a serious talking to on the upper decks, as they prepared the dinghy to take her away.

"Pip, while the others are tasked with getting Princess Emma back into her kingdom's keep, you play the most important role. Keep her from coming back. She –" Killian's voice cracked a bit but he shook it off, looking the young boy dead on and trying to convey his sincerity. "She's not going to seem the strong Princess you know, she'll feel guilty and like she's to blame. You must convince her that no one resents helping her, and that what she is going to do to stop the Queen matters more than anything."

"Yes, Captain I will." Killian patted the boy on the shoulder turning to leave and finding Emma now above decks once more. She'd stopped crying, but tears still gathered in those beautiful green eyes and the sorrow he felt was mirrored in her expression.

"I don't know if I can do this," she whispered as he came to hold her once more. Pushing away a strand of her golden hair that was fluttering in the wind, trying to memorize just how silky it felt between his fingertips, he shook his head.

"None of that, Emma. You can and you will defeat the Queen. It's your destiny, and furthermore you promised." The smallest of smiles toyed at her lips, and its appearance struck Killian to the core. Emma deserved to know only happiness, but he could do nothing to grant her any, at least not now.

"You need to promise me something too." Emma said, running her hand across his chest.

"Anything, love."

"No dying. This can't be goodbye forever, because if it is-" her voice cracked, the tears streaming once more, and rather than let them fall, he kissed her lips, reveling in the feel of her flush against him one last time.

"I'm a survivor and I _will_ see you again." She nodded, but at the point on his chest where her hand lay, a bright white light glowed, the magic seeping into him.

"Just to be safe. The Queen has a fondness for stealing people's hearts, and we need to protect yours." She placed a kiss over the spot where her magic had manifested when she was done with her spell, and she seemed to resign herself in that moment to the truth. She had to go, and every second she stayed longer put her at risk. All of this would be for nothing if the Queen caught her now.

"Remember that I love you, Emma. No matter what happens, no matter what comes next, you have my heart and you always will."

"You have me forever, Killian." These were their final words, and though they hung there in the air long after the small boat that held her sailed away, Killian felt like millions of things were left unsaid. He should have said he loved her more, and that he believed in nothing as strongly as he did her. He hoped she comprehended what she meant to him, and all the good he'd brought into her life.

Killian knew there wasn't much time left, the Queen was coming, and she'd be loathed to discover that Emma had evaded her. Killian intended to spare the sailors who had trusted him all these years the pain of her wrath when she found out that Emma was gone. Whatever it took he would protect them and the secret that Emma had been here and was only just gone, Killian would do it. Until then though, his mind had other ideas of what his last remaining minutes should be spent doing, and a memory he'd long tried to forget washed over him as he stared into the darkness of the water on which Emma's boat was floating away.

…

 _Never in the whole course of Killian's life, had returning to the sea been this hard. Usually the adventure that called on the open waters was more than enough to console whatever lingering fondness he had for a place on shore, but there was no denying that meeting Emma had changed all that. Today would have been her birthday, and he longed to see her happy and content on such a day, but he had no means to do so. Looking down in the dark water off the side of the boat, he was lost in a daydream whilst praying for a sign that she was okay. He was consumed with the trickling of regret for having left her, but he'd never have forsaken his duty or his brother to do so._

 _Where would his place in her life even be if he had stayed? His only use was in his sailing, and as a man of common birth, he was no suitable match for a princess, despite how much he'd already grown to love her. He needed to bolster himself in what was real, and to leave the memory of the woman and the life he wanted most behind him, but he knew it would never happen. Such a profound change brought on by such a remarkable person could never be washed away, not even by the rolling, salty tides of his beloved ocean._

" _I'll not have you mourning something that that was never meant to be, brother." Liam's words stung, but their truth resounded through Killian's person. Part of him knew Liam was only trying to help, but his brother had never known a love that mattered more to him than sailing. "You've had your dalliance with another life, but I'll be needing my lieutenant on this journey once more."_

 _Killian silently nodded, knowing that even if it felt like a lie, he needed to keep going. That chapter of his life, the one that read with the most passion and zeal since he'd been in the presence of Emma, was now behind him. He would always have the memories, but he couldn't let them devour him. Emma would be with him as long as he lived in his heart, there could be no doubting that, but from here on out he must try and reign in his thinking of her, and so he decided in that moment, that this would forever be her day. On all others, he must be what he was meant to be, a humble sailor in the service of another king, but forever more this would be his outlet for loving her._

 _Reaching into his pocket, Killian felt the petals of the rose he'd taken a few nights before from the castle gardens. It was already starting to wilt, but after tonight, he'd hide it somewhere safe, a place where he could return to it when the rest of his duties had been fulfilled. It might be the simplest of symbols, but it was enough for Killian, for his remembrances of Emma would never fade, even if he tried to push them to the side._

…

Not much could be done in terms of preparation for the arrival of the Evil Queen. All Killian could really do was speak to his men one last time. Every soul on that ship had come to love Emma in some way, and all of them over the course of their knowing her had fallen behind her crusade to make the world a better place. None of these were men predisposed to evil, and Emma's light had diluted some of their malice and propensity for bad away. It was for this reason, Killian believed that none of his men would willingly give away Emma, and nobody knew precisely where her boat was going aside from Killian himself.

"Is there anything we can do, Captain? To stop the Queen - maybe weaken her a bit to help the Princess with her quest?" Killian shook his head.

"No, and don't any of you be getting any ideas. She's a force much stronger than any of us, and I'll not have you risking your lives any more than you already have. Is that understood?" His crew agreed to follow his orders and Killian knew that they would to the best of their ability, but the moment of truth was coming, and there'd be no certainty until it did.

Just as the mist had shown him, the chill of evil hovered above the ship at the moment that the morning light spilled over the horizon. The arrival of her majesty came swiftly, as she rode in over the water in a puff of dark purple smoke, the magic that lingered from her travels leaving the normally crisp and clean air feeling stifled. Killian's already frayed emotions were sent into more of a frenzy with her presence, and the wicked sort of grin she had for him after looking around with general distaste at his ship. It took all his strength to keep himself composed in that moment.

"Well if it isn't the notorious Captain Jones. One hears such varied accounts of your misdeeds on the high seas. I must say your reputation truly proceeds you." Killian hated that the Queen seemed impressed with actions he now saw as dishonorable. He was more than the pirate he'd become, but to her Killian's darkness would be his only admirable trait.

"As does yours, Your Majesty. Might I ask what's prompted our paths to finally cross?" The grin she wore turned more sneer-like than any smile had a right to, but Killian continued to look her in the eyes, unwilling to cower in the face of her anger. His resilience to her silent form of intimidation had her features turning stony, her look cold and almost dead, like there had never been a shred of goodness in the woman all the days of her life.

"There have been whispers, Captain, of a guest aboard this vessel whose demise I've been looking forward to for decades. A Princess Emma of Misthaven." Killian put on the best bit of playacting he could as he looked about the ship.

"I can assure you that there is no such lady on the _Jolly Roger_. All you'll find is me and my crew." Regina's eyes darted across the ship at the men, no doubt looking to instill fear, but as Killian glanced around, none of them averted their gaze from the Queen. They were of brave stock, and they were proving it now. A cruel chuckle came from the Queen's chest and sounded throughout the ship, falling harshly on Killian's ears. She moved about, her overly grand black dress moving with her and creating a strange spectacle of sorts.

"Perhaps a story is in order then, for I know how fond you seafaring folks are to tall tales and legends. Once upon a time there was a girl whose reckless actions caused the death of thousands of innocent people." The mention of death had Killian's hair standing on end, and he bristled at the thought that she was speaking of Emma. He was biting down so hard, he imagined his jaw had a tick, but he remained silent as the Queen pressed on. "I am speaking of course of Snow White, the bandit and fugitive who now lives behind weakened stone walls playing at her own sort of royalty. All of the lives of these innocent people might have gone untouched by pain and suffering had it not been for her cowardice. Had the girl surrendered herself, the world might have been spared everything that followed."

"This story sounds like many about war, but they're not usually the kinds of tales we occupy ourselves with as pirates." His censure was wrapped in faux-civility that incited rage in the Queen.

"Silence!" Regina screeched, anger lacing every ounce of her projected voice before she returned to the barely restrained level of politeness she'd had before. "I realize good manners might not be needed given your occupation, but surely you know never to interrupt a Queen." Killian gave a jerked nod, as Regina continued.

"Snow White went on to marry her Prince Charming, and eventually a child was born, a child who inherited her mother's naïve belief that good could defeat evil. Her name was Emma, and she was said to be the light that the world needed to rid itself of darkness once and for all. People all around the realm cited a prophecy, a magical foretelling of an Evil Queen's demise. But the truth, is that the mythos surrounding Princess Emma's worth and her purpose is a lie, a story concocted by Snow White and her supporters so that they build up their reserves of a weapon their so fond of. Can you guess what that substance might be, Captain?"

"I cannot, Your Highness."

"Hope. Terribly inconvenient, and of course entirely ineffective, but it is a nuisance for me. See, I've been dealing with an infestation of it for years now, and as long as Snow White's daughter lives, as long as the _savior_ breathes, the people believe that she may win." Regina in that moment came to stand just before Killian, invading his space to a degree that made his skin itch in revulsion. Every part of him wanted to retreat, but doing so would give too much away. "The real beauty of the story now, though, is that she never will defeat me, Captain, and that is entirely thanks to you."

"What role can I have played in this?" Killian's cool was starting to slip, worry clinging to him in the face of Regina's words and the Evil Queen grinned again.

"Why you love her, and it would appear she loves you too." Before Killian could dispute the fact, Regina waved her hand and a puff of magic moved to seal his mouth, keeping him from speaking. "There's no sense in denying it, pirate, I can smell the stench of it and her magic on you. You love her and that love is returned, and for that reason and that reason alone, you will live. But soon enough she'll come to fight against me, and I can cause her that much more anguish by killing you in front of her. It will truly be the sweetest victory for me, watching the girl's world shatter into a million pieces in the face of lost love. It might even be better than taking back her mother's kingdom and winning this war once and for all."

Killian was so angry he tried to lunge at her, but with another burst of magic he was paralyzed in place and her cackle sounded her victory. The laughter died though when she moved to rip his heart from his chest and was unable too. Pride flooded Killian's body that Emma's magic had been strong enough, but it lasted only a moment before the Queen reclaimed his focus.

"I see the savior has a few tricks up her sleeve after all. No matter, for I have _you_ , and love shall be her weakness, just as it was her mother's." With a flick of her wrist, Killian was hit over the head magically and everything faded to black.

…..

Emma never imagined she'd face this kind of grief twice in her life as she sat in the small dinghy just before dawn in the middle of the ocean. She'd been no stranger to missing Killian Jones, for years ago, after their first meeting, she'd fallen in love with him only to see him leave. He had a duty to his Kingdom and his men, and she had a life of expectations that she wanted no part of. At that age, Emma had so much less understanding of why things didn't work the way she wanted. All she'd known was that she wanted Killian back and that she missed him so fiercely, she'd barely eaten or slept for weeks. She wandered through life heartbroken, and only time could mend the fragmented heart that had come from their separation.

Now she knew that wound had never fully healed, for her heart was ripping at the seams with each stroke of the oars in the water. Every movement that propelled them farter from Killian made her whole body ache, and her mind was consumed with thoughts of him. This was what she'd feared by admitting to her love, but Emma knew there was no stopping it. She was always going to love Killian, no matter how hard she tried not to, and as she closed her eyes, hearing nothing but the repetition of the oars breaking through the surf and waves lapping at the boat, she prayed she'd have the chance to see him again. She would do anything for more time by his side and for the chance to make him see how much she truly did love him.

A low hum began to emit from the confines of her bag and when Emma's eyes opened once more, the mist she'd seen this morning was collecting again. Where Killian's message had been delivered in silver, Emma's mist returned to the gold she'd seen with Elsa and Anna. The visions that greeted her when her fingers touched the crystal of the orb clutched her so forcefully that for a time she believed herself to be with Killian once more on the _Jolly Roger_ , in the middle of the Evil Queen's attack. She heard the Queen's vile story and watched, helplessly as she took Killian to use him against her.

"No!" Emma screamed as the last of the golden mist receded into the crystal orb once, more. Every fiber of her being was screaming out that she couldn't waste another minute and her only thought was getting back to Killian before Regina reached him. She had to save him no matter what the cost.

"Princess, no!" Pip's voice kept Emma from using her magic to return to the ship. "Captain Jones knew something like this could happen, but he also knew that you could only save him and finish your mission if you did it the right way."

Pip's words made sense but Emma didn't know how to use them. She had sought Killian out in the first place because approaching Regina by sea was the safest bet. If she used magic to enter the Queen's fortress, she could set off any number of traps, leaving herself at the mercy of Regina, but she didn't know how long it would take to find another viable ship and if she waited, Killian would suffer that much longer. Her hands were tied and yet she was desperate.

"We've got a ship approaching!" Smee said as he looked through his telescope at the horizon. "Misthaven sails." This was the answer to her prayers and her incredible want to save the man she loved and end Regina's reign once and for all. It wouldn't be pleasant to commandeer the boat, and it would put her at risk for her parents chasing after her, but it was her only shot. With a burst of power she manifested easily, Emma transported the entire boat and the men who were helping her to just beside the Misthaven vessel.

"Stay as close as you all can to the ship, and I'll have the ladders lowered for you as soon as possible. Then I can send you to any port you like."

"That's not necessary Princess, as we'll be accompanying you to save our Captain." Smee's words were final, and Emma dared not deny him his request, for she'd rather hoped he would extend it. With a subtle motion of her hand, she whisked herself to the decks of the larger ship and was greeted by the gasps of the crew.

"Princess Emma!" Emma recognized the Captain of the ship as one of her parents most trusted military advisors, and she almost groaned. Convincing him to help would be damn near impossible.

"Captain Oliver. You will excuse the inconvenience but whatever mission this ship has been sent on has ended." Her tone was so authoritative, it sounded like Killian's when he instructed his men and the thought made Emma's heart leap.

"Our voyage was for the purpose of retrieving you." Emma nodded, believing that to be a likely scenario. It was rather unusual for her parents' ships to have ventured so close to the Evil Queen's castle, but in the end it was a stroke of luck.

"And so you have, but if the second part of that mission was to take me home, then I regret to inform you that cannot happen until I finish my quest." Captain Oliver immediately shook his head.

"Princess, I have these orders from –" Emma interrupted him, feeling there was no time for the back and forth. She would speak her peace and try to make him understand her, but one way or another this boat was going after Regina.

"The King and Queen I know, but Captain, if you don't give me command over this boat, if you don't let me face the Evil Queen once and for all, then all the men, women, and children who have died in these wars will have died for nothing. I know you have seen what these battles look like in the flesh, and that you've watched the people in this Kingdom suffering. All this loss and grief has been in the pursuit of a losing war. I'm the only one who can help them and _this_ is my only chance, I have to act now. It's my destiny as the…" Emma trailed off, not because she didn't believe she was the savior, but because for the first time in a long time she had real and genuine hope that the prophecies were right. This was something she had been lacking and it was here because Killian loved her enough to know that she could do this. Her hand came up to clutch the pendant around her neck as she returned her gaze to the man in charge.

"The Savior," Captain Oliver said quietly before pausing for some time. "Alright your highness, this crew stands with you at your service." Emma sighed with relief that at least this takeover would not be a hostile one.

"Thank you, Captain. I have a few of my own men waiting down below, please have one of your men extend the ladder." The surprise on Captain Oliver's face did not escape her notice but he ordered it done all the same. With more speed than she could have ever dared to dream of, Pip and the others were retrieved and the ship began heading towards the Queen's stronghold. It would be hours yet before they arrived, but Emma grew stronger with every passing second, fully ready to face her foe once and for all.

…

 _Pulling back from the swirls of time that moved with fluidity through their system of caves, the fated sister tasked with the future of this realm and all those throughout the cosmos smiled. It was not a frequent occurrence for her to feel so strongly that good was on the way, but thanks to Emma Swan, the tides were turning in the favor of light once more._

" _The future is as bright as ever I've seen it. The time is coming, very soon." One of her sisters pulled back, a smile on her face as well, for the past was starting to find its resolution, and such a gift was not always the way of the world._

" _She learned that love is not the weakness, but the source of all true power. Only with that love and with her certainty of what is right and what is wrong, will she overcome a darkness her parents could not overthrow."_

 _Their third sister, the guardian and warden of the present, still stayed at the water's edge, consumed by the visions before her. Her eyes glazed over in the haze of what she saw, but down her cheek spilled a single tear, dropping into the pool and creating a rippling rainbow effect in the water. When she finally returned to herself once more, she shared in her sisters' delight._

" _Today darkness falls, once and for all." And it would all be because of a kind-hearted Princess brave enough to risk everything for the people and the kingdom that she loved. Emma's destiny was secured, written in the stars and blessed by the fates. Now all she had to do was live up to it._

 _ **Post-Note: Okay, so you've now read the chapter and I would love to know what you all think. Was it actually as emotional as I built it up to be? Or were we still so engrained in fluff and the promise of more cuteness that it was relatively painless? I'm kind of curious because it's been interesting to flex some non-fluff writing muscles. Thank you either way for reading, and I do hope you enjoyed, even if it's not the usual update today.**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Okay so as promised, here is the big show down between Emma and Regina, and the resolution we all deserve. By the end of the chapter we have an Emma and Killian reunion, so the pain that comes before that will be undone I promise (though I must admit, I actually shed a few tears writing part of this chapter). I've also thrown in some 'Tangled' parallels, a reappearance of an earlier character, and some kick ass Emma moments. Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy!**_

On the last leg of her journey to defeat the Evil Queen, Emma expected rain and clouds and darkness. Instead calm waters, blue skies, and sunlight surrounded the ship. At first, the juxtaposition of her grief and the weather was a slap in the face, a most unsettling addition to her mission, but eventually Emma began to take it as another omen. Peace, calm, and goodness would be the things that got her through this in the end, and if she allowed herself to wander from the right path, she would fail. The sunlight in particular reminded her that even on her darkest day, the sun would still shine. Light could not be denied.

"We'll be approaching the gates shortly, Princess," Smee told her as he came towards her from the position he'd taken in the center of the ship. He perched there to keep an eye out for all of his men, and watching him do so in spite of Captain Oliver's authority, might have been entertaining under different circumstances.

"Good. Anything we should be watching out for?" As a learned man of the sea, Emma knew Smee would know what lay in store for them better than she.

"The channel into the fortress itself will be narrow, and…" Smee trailed off for a moment, only for the silence to be filled by Captain Oliver whose silent approach startled Emma slightly.

"And our chances at surprising the Queen are unlikely given that we'll be arriving in broad daylight." He made an excellent point, and one Emma hadn't given much thought to in all honesty. Her choices then were to try and enchant the ship so that it might go undetected, and risk giving off too much magic that it would still alert the Queen, or to forego a surprise attack and openly sail in. Neither sounded particularly desirable to Emma, for she did not wish to see the men aboard this ship put through any pain at Regina's hands.

"How long until we become visible to the men guarding post?" Smee and Captain Oliver each looked to the other before the former finally answered her query.

"Any minute now, Princess." Emma needed to make a decision despite the fact that both courses of action posed a threat to everyone's safety. She wished for some way of seeing the situation clearer only to hear a high-pitched whistle sounding in from over the water. While the shrill noise upset some of the others onboard, it signaled a godsend for Emma, who knew it signaled the arrival of someone she dearly needed in this moment.

"Tink!" Emma cried as the small puff of green magic transformed into her human sized companion. She hugged her fairy friend fiercely, never more relieved to see her in her whole life.

"It's good to see you too, Emma." Tink mumbled into Emma's hair before Emma finally pulled back, realizing she'd been hugging just a bit too tightly.

"But how did you find me? Has the spell you protected me with faded?" Tink shook her head, and motioned to Captain Oliver.

"Before his departure I imparted to the Captain here that his chances of success were incredibly low in bringing you straight home. I told him that when you no doubt convinced him to help you, he must send for me. For I have something to tell you, and a final gift to give." Emma nodded, asking the lingering crew members to grant them privacy as they moved to the bow of the ship.

"How was everyone, when you left them?" Tink gave a sad sort of smile.

"Worried of course. They have no idea when you'll face Regina, but it's been keeping your mother up at night. Neal, though, is entirely convinced you're coming home a hero any day now. Says he keeps dreaming of you and Killian returning to the castle again." Emma's heart picked up the pace.

"So my parents know about Killian?" Tink nodded.

"They do, and their glad it's a man they trust whose been helping you all this time." Emma felt a wave of relief crash over her. After a moment though, she internalized the second part of Tink's revelation.

"Do you think Neal's finally-" Tink interrupted her, not from lack of respect, but from their closeness. Emma always valued that Tink saw Emma as a friend first before seeing her as a princess.

"Manifesting his own true love magic? Possibly, but we won't really know until it comes true will we? To get there I will first give you this." Tink pulled a small lantern from the loop of her belt and Emma recognized it from her magical studies as a fairy device used to create temporary invisibility. "Lit with love, this lantern will conceal the ship, and all who are onboard."

Emma immediately closed her eyes, envisioning Killian and feeling the bit of magic needed to light the candle click into place. When she opened her eyes once more, Tink was staring on in wonder at the glowing golden flame residing in the lantern. It took a lot to impress her tutor after all these years, but Emma managed to do it.

"What?" Emma asked. Tink shook her head.

"Nothing, it's just that usually the task is harder than that. But I should have guessed that you would think of your Captain and it would be an easy feat." Emma gave a small smile, liking the way Tink had called Killian hers, for her was, in every way that mattered. She hung up the lantern at the front of the ship, right by where they were and then implored Tink to continue with her message.

"I'm sure you've heard the story of the Evil Queen's rise to power many times, Emma." Emma nodded, for of course she had. Her parents were always quick to tell her, and legend around it hadn't faded much in many years. Snow White and her following of people seeking good threatened Regina and her claim to the throne. To secure herself and try and eradicate Snow from every existing, she allowed evil to cling to her heart and threw herself under the tutelage of Rumplestilskin, the dark one and a manipulator to the extreme. Her teacher had since discovered a way to cross realms, for what reason no one knew, thus abandoning his protégé to try and find her vengeance. Rumplestilskin had been gone from this world since before Emma's birth, but his legacy lived on in Regina all these years later.

"The truth is a bit more complicated. Regina, before she was a Queen, was a young woman in love." The claim came as a shock to Emma.

"Regina? The Evil Queen, was in love with someone?!" Tink nodded, sadness shadowing her usually bright and bubbly features.

"Years ago, she had goodness in her heart, and true love for a stable boy named Daniel. With him, she knew happiness, and she believed that her life might be one of contentment with him by her side. One day she saved a young girl while out riding, earning herself the favor of the girl's father. That girl was your mother, Snow White." All of this was news to Emma, but Tink continued on.

"Regina's actions earned her a solicitation of marriage from your grandfather, King Leopold, who though still mourning his late wife, wanted his daughter to have a maternal figure in her life. Despite Regina's resistance to your Grandfather's proposal of marriage, she ally eventually accepted, and all at the hands of her own mother, a truly wicked woman, named Cora."

"What happened to Daniel?" Tink took a steadying breath.

"He was killed, right in front of Regina by her mother, thanks to young Snow White telling a secret. It was not unkindly done, but her betrayal of trust cost the young man his life." Understanding finally dawned on Emma, about how one woman's vendetta to destroy her family's happiness could be fueled all these years. Regina lost something so precious, the seemingly one good thing in her life, and she believed it to be her mother's fault. Perhaps in was, but either way it did not justify Regina's descent into darkness. Too many lives had still been lost, too much blood shed in the name of revenge.

"Why tell me this? So that when I kill her, I have some sort of context?" The thought of killing anyone upset Emma on every level of her being, but she'd accepted it as necessity to fulfill her destiny. The Evil Queen must be stopped, by whatever means were available to her.

"No. I'm telling you this so that you consider another way of defeating her. I believe you can bring her back into the light, Emma, just as I once tried to." Emma's mouth fell open at the words.

"You tried to help her?!" Tink nodded, her hands clasping together in a motion that displayed her discomfort and regret.

"Years ago, I was given the chance to show Regina that true love might not be something she only had one shot at. I thought I led her straight to a happily ever after, but I underestimated just how tightly grief and fear cling to the heart. When you've been hurt, your mentalities shift, bravery sometimes begins to melt away, and that was what happened with Regina. Even though it's been years, there's still a chance for her to find that happy ending, and if you can remind her of that, and make her see, you can still rid the world of darkness, without blackening your own heart in the process."

Emma took in everything that Tinkerbelle said, but knew no means of making Regina see her potential happily ever after. This woman was predisposed to hating her, seeing in Emma's eyes only her mother's chance at happiness in the flesh. There had to be a way to surpass that inherent animosity, but what would it be?

 _The mist!_ Her mind called out. Lore proclaimed the mist would give its wielder heightened powers and a desirable outcome. Maybe she could use the mist to show Regina what her future might be. Pulling out the crystal sphere from her bag once more, Emma willed the mist to manifest. It came to her readily, showing her a series of images from the past the present and the future that Regina could have. It showed her living a far more modest life, secluded in the woods, but one that held happiness. In the visions, there was a man who made her smile, and two sons who cared for her deeply.

"You're right, Tink. I think I'm finally ready, to end this once and for all." Emma said to her oldest friend, hope bubbling in her chest, and a true smile gracing her features. Her friend nodded, happy tears stinging her eyes.

"You are, Emma. You really are."

…

Waking up in the dark, musty jail cell under the Queen's castle, Killian bit back a groan. His head throbbed in the aftermath of being hit by Regina's magic, but he rallied, sitting up and eventually standing. At least he was alive, and he would wager, that in the few hours he'd been out, Emma had already formulated a plan. So far he'd kept his promise to her by not dying, and that was something to be grateful for.

 _Pssst_. A whispered sound came to Killian through the metal bars at the front of his keep and he looked to find two figures in the cell across from him. Covered in dirt and filth, they appeared to be beggars, but Killian could tell, even from a distance that the clothes they wore had once been fine, and that the people behind the current squalor looked an awful lot like two royals he knew. The women he instantly knew to be the Queen of Arendelle spoke to him, real concern in her eyes as she whispered hoarsely.

"The guards will be back any minute now, and when they come they'll be taking you away. We know the savior is coming – if she succeeds-"

"She _will_ succeed Your Majesty, and when she does she'll be freeing you and taking you both back to your daughters who are now awaiting your return." Tears welled up in the Queen of Arendelle's eyes as she reached for her husband's hand. He took it readily, with relief coloring his face as well.

"How are they doing? We've been completely cut off from any word about them here. They're alright?" Killian nodded.

"Your kingdom has mourned your loss as did your daughters, but Princess Emma and I discovered your message in the bottle, and brought it to them just a week or so ago." The King nodded and spoke out again.

"And to who do we owe our gratitude for delivering it?" Killian shook his head, unwilling to take the credit for Emma's work.

"Just Princess Emma. I'm a Captain in her service, nothing more." The words were partially true, at least until he claimed that there was nothing more between he and Emma.

"Forgive me, Captain, but you wear the uniform of a man without a flag, and I would wager anything you are a pirate. You expect me to believe that Emma, the little girl I once knew, has enlisted outlaws on this campaign?" Killian silently nodded, beginning to bristle at the words until the Queen smiled. "Well good for her. You've served her well, I'm sure."

"I've done my best, Your Highness." The moment was broken by the harsh thuds of footsteps moving down the dungeon steps. These must be the guards sent to bring him back to the Evil Queen's clutches. Killian straightened up before their arrival, hands tied, but unwilling to let them see him cowering or weak.

"Looks like the riff raff finally woke up. Fancied yourself a sleeping beauty I think, pirate." The first guard's cutting lines only brought a grin to Killian's face.

"Aye, but I've found the accommodations lacking, and your current attempt at entertainment rather dull." He earned himself a growl from the guard but the other man beside him reached out to grab his comrade's arm before he could smack Killian.

"She wants him in once piece. Besides, she'll cause a lot more damage to him than you can." The first guard gradually returned to himself, a sneer forming on his ugly face.

"You might think yourself lucky, pirate, but you'd be wrong." Killian didn't think any such thing as they led him from the dungeons, through the cold, dark castle, but he'd rather give up his right hand than let them know that. When they finally reached Regina, he kept his feigned cockiness up as well he could, not wanting to give anything away of his fear.

"Ah, Captain. It's so good of you to finally wake up. Come." The guards shoved him, but Killian made his own way, walking towards the Queen's malicious smirk. "I was just finalizing my plan on how to deal with that little hope incident we spoke of this morning. And I have just the thing. See, I'm not just going to kill you. That would be too easy really. First, I'm going to tell dear, sweet Emma the truth." Killian arched a brow at the Queen.

"And what truth might that be?"

"The _only_ truth, Captain. I'm going to tell her about the day her mother had my true love killed, because she couldn't keep her mouth shut." An inkling of understanding began to spread through Killian. All of this malice had a root cause after all, for Killian could well believe that losing love, if it was really true, would drive one into madness. If he ever watched Emma die at another's hand, he might be lost to the darkness within the blink of an eye.

"He died by Snow White's hand?" Regina's eyes flashed with anger.

"No, my mother might have crushed Daniel's heart, but it was Snow White that put him at risk in the first place." The Queen was giving him valuable ammunition here, admitting so much so quickly. Especially her lover's name, Killian knew names possessed incredible power, and could evoke emotion more than nearly any other type of word.

"Why would your mother kill the man you love?" Killian could see her anger and unconscious need to vent this story out in Regina's eyes, and he hoped to find out all he could so as to help Emma when the time came.

"Because she wanted better for me. He was of common birth, and I was destined for royalty. My mother always said that love makes you weak, and she was right. After Daniel died I fell into a despair as all consuming as it was pathetic."

"But he only died because of your mother. There's no way to know that you couldn't have been happy as the wife of a common man. Why did you need to be Queen?" A flash of pain crossed her features when he said the words, but it was quickly covered up again.

"Enough of your questions. You'll get sick of the story by the time precious Emma arrives, and I won't have that. It'll ruin all my good fun." Killian knew that his next words would be a huge risk, but he had to try all the same, maybe he could set a seed of doubt or remorse in Regina's mind before Emma arrived.

"Would Daniel have wanted this for you?" The question had the opposite reaction of what Killian had hoped for, as the Evil Queen formed a fireball in her hand.

"Don't you dare say his name!" Her arm came back as if to throw the burning sphere at him, but then the big wooden doors banged open and there stood Emma, a picture of loveliness and defiance as she wielded her sword and held her own hand up in defense.

"I'd rethink that next move if I was you, Regina."

….

Entering the Evil Queen's compound lacked the complexity that Emma expected, and so she believed that Regina must know she was here. As she surpassed all of the guards with merely a flick of her wrist, Emma followed the bellowing voice that sounded through the stonewalls of Regina's castle. When she entered the throne room where Regina waited though, Emma had to wonder if she did manage to go undetected after all. The surprised look on the Evil Queen's face as she busted down the wooden doors, spoke volumes but Emma shook with rage when she saw the Queen's anger and aggression aimed at Killian. Regina killed the fireball she'd had in her hand and physically moved closer to Killian, maintaining her control over her prisoner while grinning at Emma.

Emma's eyes moved over to Killian's for just a moment, and she found him thankfully unharmed. Even in a moment of such magnitude, with an impending face off before them, he still looked at her with full faith and so much love that it grounded Emma. His presence helped her reign in her anger and to remember her reason for being here.

"Are we already on a first name basis? Technically we've never met. That's very progressive of you, but then again I guess I shouldn't be surprised given that you've fallen in love with a pirate, Emma." The way Regina said her name was filled with disgust, but Emma looked at Regina now and saw what she could be instead of what she was. That didn't mean Emma wasn't livid when Regina put her hands on a handcuffed Killian, though.

"I think I know you well enough to bypass the formalities." Regina's forced laugh filled the room.

"You are so like your mother. Willfully ignorant." Emma bristled at the mention of her family, but then remembered that to Regina, Snow White had been accomplice to a most horrible deed.

"I know that you loved and were loved in return. And as for my mother, she was partially to blame for your losing him." Regina looked to Killian, glaring at him with such loathing, Emma had never seen its likeness before.

"How did you tell her that?" Emma called out to secure Regina's attention once more.

"He didn't. The fairy who tried to give you a second chance at your happy ending did." Recognition crossed the Queen's features.

"Tinkerbelle. So like her to stick her nose into things that don't concern her."

"She also told me that the window hasn't closed for you to have the life she showed you." Regina replied immediately, her denial ever present.

"I've no use in my life for happily every afters. My happiness will come from watching everything your mother loves turn to dust."

"The life you're denying yourself could mean more to you than that. In the future you have a family, a real one that loves you, despite all that you've done." Longing crossed the Queen's features, but the ice around her did not thaw.

"If you think I'd ever be stupid enough to believe you, you're even more naïve than your mother."

"I don't think you will. I have a feeling that with you, seeing is believing." With that, Emma put down her sword in a sign of truce, and pulled out the _Moirai's Mist_ from where she'd hidden it in her pocket.

"A crystal ball. You truly are daft, if you think I'll be interested in such a paltry trick." Emma bit back all of the frustration she felt at Regina. Yelling at her wouldn't do anything but rile her further, and she was still too close to Killian to risk setting her off.

"It's what's inside the crystal that's meaningful." Emma extended her hand to give it to her and watched as Regina took the sphere.

"I can't believe it," Regina said as she looked into the glass, and for a beat Emma believed she might be seeing her future. Then her voice returned, laced in the most wicked and cruel of tones. "I can't believe defeating you will really be this easy."

In a split second everything went awry, and Emma watched her plan completely unravel. With inhuman force, Regina crushed the crystal within her hands, shattering the pieces all around, and destroying the mist's container. As she did that, she flicked her wrist in Killian's direction, sending a black dagger Emma hadn't noticed towards his chest.

" _No_!" Acting with no thought in her mind except to save Killian, Emma blasted Regina with a blinding white magic that sent the woman crashing into the side of the room unconscious as Killian fell to the ground, holding his stomach. Emma could see blood spilling from the wound. He'd been hit, and not just by a blade but by a magical toxin. Emma watched black begin to pulse through Killian's veins, and she saw the signs of the incredible pain the object caused him. She could see it in his eyes, and hear it in his ragged breathing.

"Emma," Her name on his lips as she bent down to hold him brought tears to her eyes. Emma couldn't understand how this had happened. She'd done as the mist told her, she'd given Regina the chance to see and still she'd taken from Emma what was taken from her. She'd believed that good could smother evil, but she'd failed, and the man she loved was dying here. She couldn't accept that, couldn't let it happen.

"Killian, no, look at me, stay with me! I can fix this – I can –" His hand moved up to run through her hair, it's shakiness a tell tale sign that his fight was ending.

"Emma, it's okay." But it wasn't and if he left her life never ever would be again.

"It's not okay, you promised me!" He laughed, the sound choked and terrible, but Emma didn't know what to do, her hands tried to heal him with magic and it wouldn't work. She closed her eyes and felt the tears falling down her cheeks. His thumb stroked away one of the tears as he spoke once more.

"You are the best thing that's ever happened to me." The words were barely more than a whisper, broken in their delivery.

"Killian, you can't go. I love you, please, I can't lose you again!" His eyes closed, and she knew it was the end, but Emma was desperate for him not to leave. She pressed a kiss to his lips and for a moment there was nothing until suddenly, a pulse of energy came between them.

When Emma pulled back, the light was tinted with all the colors of the rainbow, proving once and for all that she and Killian were true love, but the magic didn't revive him. Emma watched as the rainbow eventually faded away, and Killian still lay there.

"Please, bring him back to me." Emma whispered the prayer to anyone and anything that could help her, and as the words passed her lips, her plea was answered. Now infiltrating the lingering protective barrier the kiss provided was the same silvery glow that she'd seen this morning when Killian received his message. Emma watched as the swirls of magic came from the broken shards of crystal on the ground and settled on Killian. She pulled back now only touching him with her hands. Where their skin still met, gold and silver light intertwined as it seeped into him, making his pale body glow with life again, and healing his wound as the toxin was sucked away, light eradicating the darkness once and for all. The whole room was filled with the spirals of magic, but Emma only had eyes for him.

"Killian?" Emma asked, daring not to hope that he was really okay.

"I told you, love. I'm a survivor." He said the words with his eyes closed, opening them once more so she could see those kind cerulean eyes that set her on fire and filled her with hope at the same time. She kissed him again, and kissed her back with all of the passion and love he always had for her.

"In the happiness of your reunion, you forgot one critical thing. I'm still here, and I have no intention of letting either of you leave alive." Regina's voice from the other side of the room prompted Emma to turn, protecting Killian with her body. She wanted more than anything to hurt Regina for what she'd done. She'd tried to take Killian from her, and forgiving such a thing would never feel natural to Emma, but she knew that the mist had given her back her true love, and she must honor that gift. Raising her hands, Emma collected the swirls of silver and gold towards her and then pushed them forward to Regina.

The cloud did not hurt the Evil Queen, but seemed to stun her, and through the haze, Emma could see Regina gripped in the visions the mist decided to show her. Tears fell down the Queen's face, and Emma knew that whatever she was seeing was working. While Regina was coming out of her revelation, Emma removed the cuffs on Killian's wrists and kissed each of his hands softly while she did.

"I surrender," Regina said, as the mist dispersed once and for all. "Though I can't imagine how your parents will let me live after this, I surrender." Emma pulled from within her bag a cuff to remove one's power over their magic, and placed it on Regina as a safety precaution, finally taking a breath when it was on the woman's arm.

From there, things moved very quickly. Prisoners were freed, including Anna and Elsa's parents. Emma sent her message to Elsa, which prompted the immediate arrival of Elsa and Anna through magic. To see the reunion of her two friends with their parents was an incredibly heart warming sight, just as seeing the other prisoner's released and granted safe passage back to their homes was. Emma ordered the guards to hoist up a white flag as a sign of surrender in the highest tower of the castle, and Regina signed a decree that was sent to all her military commanders to cease fighting immediately.

Through everything they faced for the rest of their day in Regina's castle, Killian was always with Emma, holding her hand despite his original worries about propriety. Emma had nothing to hide, for he was her true love and there was no doubt in her mind that she would be with him always. She'd done her part for this realm, and if need be she'd abdicate her right to the throne to be with him. Emma didn't believe it would come to that, but whatever it took to have Killian, she would do it.

Finally, when the sun had long since set into the western sky, Emma and Killian returned to her parents' ship once more. They had word that the Jolly Roger resided safely in a port nearby, and a message was sent to have them meet their captain and crew back in Misthaven. Tink, after assisting Emma all day with organizing Regina's surrender, provided a means of speeding up the voyage home so that they'd all arrive back by morning. Emma knew the magic could have them back in less time, but Tink was enabling Emma to have a last evening alone with Killian. She was ever so grateful for that, for come tomorrow, when she saw her parents again after nearly a month of being away, she'd be watched like a hawk.

For now though, all Emma wanted after this most exhausting of days, was to spend the night in Killian's arms, being reminded of the love they shared. Though she knew it might take a little convincing, she was sure Killian would never deny her that, for everything he did, he did for her, and she intended to show him that from here on out, everything _she_ did would be for them.

…

"You're absolutely certain no one is walking in here, love?" Killian asked as he ran his hand through his hair. Emma had a gloriously happy smile on her face as she released a last puff of magic to seal the door. Turning back to him, she began to undo the buttons on his vest with the skill and precision that came from substantial practice.

"Don't worry, your reputation remains perfectly safe, Captain Jones." Before he could argue that it was _her_ reputation he was fretting over, she pulled him down for a kiss. It had been hours since she'd last been able to, and the action dissolved any thoughts of leaving so as to protect her dignity. "You are my future, Killian, and the rest of the world can damn well get used to it, because I'm never letting you go."

Her words, though too remarkable to truly believe, were a balm on his still healing heart. The terror of this morning, and the feelings of grief they'd both gone through were still so fresh, and in Emma's eyes he saw the longing he too felt to have all of it go away. Running his hands along her body, he removed each scrap of clothing from her, revealing more and more of her to his eyes and hands for worship. She did the same with him, until there was nothing between them anymore.

Emma's fingers traced lightly over the place where he'd been stabbed. The wound was completely gone, without even a scar left in it's place, and had he not felt the agony of his injury, he might never have believed himself truly hurt. He couldn't imagine the implications of his being healed by the mist, for he was headed for death. He'd known it, Emma had known it, but still he lived, through some universal force they neither of them truly understood.

"Moirai is another name for the sisters of fate." Emma was clearly thinking along the same lines, trying to work out in her head how things had gone their way in the end.

"Aye, love." Killian said, bringing her gently towards the bed. She ran her hands across his face, tracing where bare flesh met his beard, as the back of her legs hit the end of the mattress.

"I asked for you back, and they listened. I think they realized that there would be no reward in achieving my destiny and saving my people without you." Emma's whispered confession rang of sound logic, unbelievable as it was.

"And here I am." Emma smiled.

"And here you are." With that, she pulled him onto the bed with her, and their words were replaced by touches and kisses. Neither Emma nor Killian rushed their efforts, each of them memorizing every last detail of the other, and Killian in particular found the greatest healing in giving Emma pleasure.

He was also feeling incredibly territorial, wanting to mark her as his, even while taking care not to leave any such signs in a place people might see later. Along her breasts, and her abdomen though, down her hip and to her thigh, he grazed with teeth and laved with his tongue. The roughness drove Emma crazy as his fingers focused on his sex, and she'd catapulted into climax twice before he even brought his mouth to her core.

Lost in the throws of passion, Emma fluctuated between calling out his name and letting out a litany of curses fit for a sailor. It drove him mad, setting the fire within him hotter than ever before. He longed to hear her so out of control with lust as much as he could so as to remind him and her that they were both alive and together. He set upon her sex with licks and sucks set about to please her. Over and over again he brought her to the edge, demanding that she take more and more. They both needed this, and when finally enough had been enough, Killian came to rise above her and thrust inside her sweet body to chase his own release.

Together, he and Emma found everything – healing, peace, serenity, bliss. The world was his when she was in his arms like this, and as they lie together in the bed after sharing in such a perfect reunion, waiting for sleep to come, Killian couldn't tear his gaze away from the beauty in his arms.

"Promise me just one more thing," Emma said as she nuzzled into his chest.

"Anything, love."

"We stay together. No matter what."

"I promise." Emma looked up at him, and he could not avert his eyes even if he'd wished to.

"I mean it, Killian. I know you, you're going to have crazy ideas that you don't deserve me or our worlds are too different, and I won't accept that." Killian grinned, pressing his lips to her forehead briefly.

"So you're saying you'll always find me, Emma?" She nodded.

"Yes, and with my family pedigree, it's a given that I will be successful." He laughed pulling her closer to his chest.

"Good. But for the record, I've no intention of leaving." Emma must have finally been convinced, for after his promise, her breathing evened out, signaling to Killian that she'd fallen into sleep. He closed his eyes and just as swiftly followed her, for where one of them went, the other truly would always find them.

 _ **Post-Note: So now I am sure you all see why I couldn't make these two chapters one installment. It would have been more than 11,000 words and completely wrong for the established length of each chapter in this fic. But it ended in a good place right? Happy reunions, and the hope of a bright future make for everything we need to eventually secure a happily ever after for my captain swan babies. I do just want to thank you all again for reading, and to those of you who braved the tension for the impending fluff, I hope you are happy with the resolution I've brought so far. There are still three chapters left for things to unfold, but it's all going up from here! Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, and thank you again!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: This week's chapter brings us a few key things in this story. We get Emma's reuniting with her parents, the trial of the Evil Queen, and of course, so much CS fluff (and a little side of smut) that it's guaranteed to help combat even the worst of days. You should definitely expect some feels, and some smiles from this installment. Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy!**_

"How is it that I feel more nervous coming home than I was facing the Evil Queen?" Emma asked, really to anybody within hearing distance on the upper decks of theship. Tinkerbelle laughed at the outburst, but Emma looked up at Killian's face to see him stricken with a similar discomfort that only increased the closer they got to land. They'd be arriving any minute, and Emma knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that her family would be waiting there. The only question was what kind of reception awaited them.

"It'll all come from a place of love. They've been very worried. At the very least you can allow them to scold you a bit." Emma groaned at Tink's truthful words, but Killian took her hand and suddenly her anxiety began to ebb away. In that moment, Emma realized she could handle anything they threw her way, as long as she could still have Killian beside her. Upon landing, these easier displays of affection would have to stop, at least until she managed to speak with her parents, but there was no way Emma would give up this closeness long term. She needed Killian, and nothing would ever change that.

"Whatever comes, you can handle it, Swan." Emma smiled, squeezing his hand tighter.

" _We_ can handle it." The small smile he gave her told Emma that there must be doubts in Killian's mind and concerns about not knowing what to do and how to act. She just wanted him to be himself, knowing the man she loved was more than enough to make her happy. She'd told him as much all last night and this morning, but it would take actions to prove to him how serious she was about all of this. She needed just a bit more time to do that.

Time though, was not on her side, at least not today. The ship approached the port with increasing speed, and soon enough, Emma not only saw the docks she'd departed from about a month ago, but her mother, father, and brother. Their reactions to her pulling in were about what she'd expected. Neal bounced around on the wooden planks with boundless energy, so excited to see her. Emma couldn't help but smile and wave to him after missing him for so long. Her father, meanwhile looked proud but tried to keep his exterior cool for her mother's sake, and her mother, well her face kept transforming from relieved, to frustrated, and all the while there were tears in her eyes.

"Oh boy," Emma muttered more to herself than anyone else as the ship finally stopped and she made to depart. She was on land all of ten seconds before her brother's arms were encircling her waist with a joyous hug.

"You came home!" Emma hugged him back, so glad to be back here and with him once more.

"Of course I did. I had to make sure your visions were right, didn't I?" Neal nodded, clearly very excited about his new found powers, but more discussion on that would have to wait. Her father placed a hand on Neal's shoulder, and with just a bit of sadness, her brother pulled back, leaving Emma to face her father. His hug surprised her at first, but then she felt so happy to receive it, tears stung at her eyes.

"There was no magic needed to know you'd be successful, Emma." His whispered praise made Emma feel so much better. Her father's pride in her and belief in her made the rewards of her victory that much sweeter. Pulling away, Emma asked him a question she'd grappled with for weeks now.

"You knew I was leaving when you gave me the sword that night, didn't you?" Her father nodded. "How?" He glanced at her mother before returning his focus to Emma.

"You and your mother have the same tells. You both get a little shifty just before acting out." Emma laughed, still a bit nervous about facing the woman she'd inherited those traits from.

"Any advice on how to get her to forgive me?" Emma asked as her mother _harrumphed_ from just beside them.

"' _Her'_ or rather _'she'_ can hear you right now." Snow White stepped up to Emma, looking at her with an almost feigned severity, until her face softened and the tears reappeared, falling down her cheeks. "And the better question is will you forgive me, Emma? I should have believed in you enough to let you do this with my blessing. Instead I made you feel like you had to slip away in the night to set off on this adventure. I failed you, and it is I who must ask you for forgiveness."

"There's nothing to forgive." Emma stepped into her mother's arms and felt the warmth of her embrace, glad to be home once more.

"Where's Killian?" Neal asked as he rushed onto the ship, eager to explore, thus pulling Emma's thoughts from her hug with her mother, and setting her pulse into overdrive. She would bet that a blush colored her cheeks now, but there was no way of tampering it down. Her eyes found Killian's from where he stood on the ship and she smiled at him at the same time that Neal found him, giving Killian a big hug of his own.

"Neal, why don't you give Captain Jones a bit of room to breathe. Our chances of his accepting our invitation to the palace drastically decrease if you smother him to death." Emma muffled a laugh. Her parents, fiercely protective as they were, both had good senses of humor, and though she didn't lack for teasing or jests on her voyage, she missed their distinct flair for the dramatics.

"It's not a problem, Your Highness," Killian replied as he followed Neal onto the docks from the ship. Emma could see the straightness of his posture, and watched the boy she'd known long ago, filled with polite deference, appear once more. It was funny given his attire, but it represented the blending traits she loved so much about Killian.

"You and your crew must come to the castle when you are all here, so that we might give you all a proper thanks for your service. Only through you all did my daughter have the chance to stop evil once and for all." Emma watched Killian shake his head.

"With all due respect, your Majesty, Princess Emma had everything she needed without our help." Snow White smirked at the words.

"I'm not so sure that's true Captain. Besides, I'm sure your men will not refuse the adventure. From my understanding, pirates rather like a good story, and rum, both of which we can offer within the palace at a banquet in the coming days." A murmur of interest rang through the ranks of Killian's men who'd been on her parents naval ship with them, but Killian looked at Emma as she bit back a laugh. Her mother had been smart enough to pitch their rum store, and now Killian could never have denied the invitation even if he wanted to. He'd have a mutiny on his hands if he denied his men the experience.

"You honor us, your Majesty." Confident that this signaled Killian's acceptance, Snow White looked beyond him to the ship once more and Emma could tell the exact moment she spotted Regina. So many emotions crossed her mother's face, anger, frustration, but some others too, like sadness and relief.

"She's not locked up," Queen Snow said.

"The cuff is blocking her magic. She can do you no more harm, mother." Snow's features hardened.

"Lord knows she's done enough, and it's time to put her behind us. She'll stand trial today, so that I may forget she ever existed." Emma stood speechless at her mother's words, watching as she turned on her heel, heading back for the carriage. She'd taken Neal with her, and Emma's father followed behind after giving Emma a small smile, leaving Emma and Killian together alone once more.

"It'll be alright, love," Killian said gently, knowing instinctively that Emma needed the comfort. She'd given Regina her word that a happy future for her existed, but her mother would have the final say on any sentencing, and after that display, her hope that it would be a favorable resolution for the Evil Queen dwindled.

"How are you so sure?" Killian gave her a small smile.

"Because I've yet to see you fail, Emma." Not even bothering to look back at her parents, Emma took his hand in hers again.

"I love you," she whispered, watching the surprise and delight appear on his face, but just before he responded, Emma's attention was called away again, this time by Tink. The moment dissipated, but Emma would make it up to him later, that she silently promised herself.

….

 _She still loves me,_ Killian thought to himself, unable to keep the happiness over that fact from fluttering throughout his body. Three little words held so much power over him, it was impossible to describe, but he wouldn't trade it for anything. Nothing was certain, and Killian knew that Emma had a duty to her people and her parents, but the honesty in her emerald green eyes when she'd said the words anchored him to hope. He had no choice but to believe that maybe, somehow, they could end up together. She was busy now with preparations for the trial, and so he'd slipped into the background, finding sanctuary in the gardens away from the fray of people and the temptation to stay close to Emma, thus giving away their connection.

Many a night, Killian had dreamed of what returning to Emma's palace would mean for him. He'd envisioned these gardens, and the ornate decorations of the castle itself as a backdrop to romantic moments with Emma that he'd never believed would really come to be. Walking through the hedgerow once more sparked memories and imaginings alike and now his present had so much of what he'd wanted in his past: another chance to see Emma, more control over his own life, and the love of the best woman in all the realms. But this was her world, and perhaps the love they shared was only strong enough to last in his.

"Emma paced these grounds for months after you and your brother left, you know." Emma's father's words startled Killian a bit, but he managed to keep from jumping at the man's sudden appearance, giving a small bow instead. "She'd liked them before, to be sure, but after your visit, I almost always found her here." Killian liked the thought that Emma had been just as affected by their separation as he was, though he tried to maintain his composure.

"It is a beautiful place, to be sure."

"Her mother and I always wondered if it was the roses, or the memories that she clung to for comfort." Killian struggled to understand the man's meaning. Did he approve of what Emma and Killian had shared, for clearly he knew that there was more than friendship between them. Or was this the moment when the man would warn him away, reminding him that princesses didn't marry pirates.

"You'd have to ask Emma that." Too late, Killian realized he'd used just her name and not her title, but the slip up only made King David smile more. After a moment, the older man sobered though.

"Your brother was a good man. I was sorry to hear from Emma that he passed. That must have been difficult for you." Killian wouldn't deny that was true.

"Was it the piracy that gave me away, or something else?" David laughed at that, and a bit of Killian's worry lessened.

"When Neal told us about your change in station, I was shocked, but I must admit, I was also a little envious. A shepherd's life isn't nearly as interesting as a pirates."

"I think my brother would have preferred I give up the sea all together and tended to sheep over what I have done."

"I didn't know Liam very well, but I did sketch his character well enough to know that he'd be proud of all you did to help Emma, and by extension this Kingdom. We will always owe you a debt of gratitude for protecting her." Killian's stomach filled with guilt. Surely he would feel no gratitude for the liberties Killian had taken with Emma's reputation.

"I did this with no expectations."

"And that's what makes you a good man. We've a place for good men like you in this Kingdom, Killian. I could use someone to lead my navy as some of my men are looking to a life beyond the sea." Killian's stomach dropped at the offer. Of course that would be the King's thinking, that a position in the naval force would be reward. But Killian wanted nothing except for a princess he should not have. "Unless of course, you're considering such a life for yourself, in which case I'd tell you to get your affairs in order, and ready yourself. Life in a royal court might not physically happen on the high seas, but it can be just as cut throat as any pirate's life."

Before Killian could respond, King David patted him on the shoulder and walked off, leaving Killian to try and make sense of the conversation that had just transpired. In a flash of understanding, Killian realized this was the King's blessing, and he intended to take it for all it was worth. He formed a plan, and set out to actualize it. Only then could he offer himself to Emma fully and in the way that his true love deserved.

…...

"Regina, you are here today to face punishment for the havoc you have created in this Kingdom and this realm for years. Do you deny the destruction and deaths that have happened by your hand and by your orders?" Emma had never seen her mother like this before. Snow White was so hardened by anger as she looked on at her foe of the last twenty-five years. Regina had taken much from the realm to be sure, but to Snow it was personal. She'd lived life afraid of the Evil Queen's malice and plans to destroy her. Emma could understand the anger through that lens of examination, but she worried for her mother's goodness. Revenge would lead anyone on a bad path, and as a role model to the people, Snow White should be above such vices.

"I do not deny it," Regina replied. The woman Emma had first met, and had heard tale after evil tale about, genuinely seemed remorseful. Resigned to the trial, and humbled by the presence of hundreds of bystanders watching her admit to wrongdoing, Regina seemed smaller. She did not present the same threat that she had before, and for that reason, Emma pitied her. This was a woman who inspired fear for years, now she had nothing but the consequences of such a life before her.

"Your offenses are too numerous to count. The lives lost, the futures stolen away from my people and yours have been so many. The sheer volume of malice is so formidable, that I have no precedence for your case. Death would seem almost a certainty for you, unless someone will speak on your behalf." The entire room was silent, one could have heard a pin drop amongst the hundreds of subjects in the hall until Emma stepped forward from her seat with her parents and Neal.

"I will speak for her." The entire room buzzed with whispers now as her mother stared at Emma incredulously.

"Emma?" She asked and Emma looked straight into her mother's eyes.

"All my life, you've told me that hope was the answer. To win the war, to end the suffering, we needed hope and light and goodness. I defeated Regina, not with anger in my heart, not with resentment for all the chaos she's caused, but with pity and empathy. She has done unspeakable things, she has left the world so much worse than how she found it, but killing her doesn't change anything, it only ends another life."

"Emma, there's no controlling her. We can't expect her to change, and just be good all of a sudden. We need to protect the people." Emma nodded.

"I agree, but we can do that without ending her life. Without magic, Regina poses no threat to this Kingdom." Snow seemed to consider that for a moment.

"Is it even possible to take her magic and to be certain that she'd never be able to steal it back?" The question was posed to Tink, and to Blue, the leader of the fairies who'd been summoned to this trial.

"It's not within the power of the fairies," Blue said, and Emma sensed that she had no interest in showing Regina benevolence. Regina had been an enemy of Blue's kind for a long time, and Blue had a streak of grudge holding within her long tenure as guardian of the fairies.

"But it can be done. Emma can do it," Tink said with conviction, nodding to Emma with her show of support. Emma turned her attention back to her mother.

"If you agree to show her lenience, I can guarantee her magic will be gone. Not just taken, but eradicated from being."

"That sounds dangerous, and you've risked yourself enough, Emma." Emma shook her head.

"This is how it was always supposed to end. The prophecy that made me the savior? It called for an end to darkness. Killing anymore won't achieve what I was supposed to do, but light will snuff it out, at least with a little help." Emma brought her hands up and directed them at Regina but waited for her mother's nod of approval before going on. Eventually Snow nodded, and Emma flicked her wrists to start the process.

This time, when Emma sent out a burst of her white magic, the golden mist she'd found in Arendelle swirled with it, surrounding Regina in a bubble like enclosure. Emma's light magic brought out Regina's own darkness and as the swirls of black and purple met the golden shroud, it disappeared, transforming into light itself. This was the final vision that the Moirai had shown Emma, and now, she'd made good on the last bit of her destiny as savior.

Blue examined Regina from there, confirming that all magic was gone from her being, and with one last plea on Emma's part, Regina was sentenced to a life of service deep in the woods. She would be guarded for the rest of her days by Snow's soldiers, but she would still be alive, and as free as was safe, as long as she did not use her knowledge to hurt the kingdom in anyway. It was the best Emma could do for the Evil Queen. Now the rest was up to her. Only Regina could start to undo some of the malice she'd brought to this realm, and only she could open herself up to that chance of love the mist had promised.

After the guards led Regina away out of the great hall, and just before everyone rose from their seats, Emma spoke once more, loud enough for all to hear. The words were aimed at her mother, but everyone should know what she was about to say.

"I have something else to bring to the court's attention." Snow looked surprised, but Emma noticed that her father only smiled. Did he know what she was about to do?

"What is it, Emma?"

"I ask for your blessing to forgo tradition and follow my heart. I have no desire to marry a prince. I've found true love elsewhere, and I'm not letting it go." Her mother's jaw dropped.

"You mean, _confirmed_ true love? With who?" Before Emma could respond her father did, also taking her mother's hand while he did so.

"Who has Emma always loved, Snow?" Her mother's eyes grew wide.

"Killian! Emma why didn't you tell me sooner?!" Emma laughed at her mother's words.

"I've been a little busy." The evidence of that was substantial, but her mother pressed on.

"You should have told me! True love is more important than anything else."

"I agree, thus my petition. I want to be the Queen someday, for that is my legacy and what I was born to do, but more than that, I want to be with him." Only in that moment did Emma realize that she couldn't find Killian while scanning through the crowd.

"You did not need to petition, Emma. All we want is for you to be happy, and Killian is the person who does that best. You should be with him, _and_ you should be Queen." This was the moment when Killian should appear or say something or, anything really, but Emma knew in that instant he was gone.

 _He said he wouldn't leave,_ she thought to herself, her heart almost breaking, but before despair could set in, her father called out to her.

"What are you waiting for, Emma?" Her asked, smiling at her. "Go and find him." Emma should have guessed that this was what it would come to. She would hardly be her parents' daughter without the chase, the race against time, and so she bolted from the great hall to find the man she loved and to make him hers once and for all.

…

Stepping up to the doors of the castle once more, Killian hoped he wasn't too late to see the end of the trial. Perhaps he could have waited to inform his crew about the suspension of his position as Captain of the _Jolly Roger_ , but he hadn't wanted to and had imparted the news to them as soon as they'd reached port. He needed to be truly free from ties and responsibilities so as to offer himself for Emma. Now that he was, he anticipated a moment of truth where he laid everything on the line with Emma. He did not, however, expect for the love of his life to come hurtling out of the front doors and into his arms.

"Emma, love, is everything alright?" Profound relief washed over her features at seeing him, and she practically jumped into the rest of his personal space, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

"You're here," she whispered and he nodded, running a hand across her back.

"Aye, love, just a few last things to sort out." When she pulled back she kissed his lips fervently, then moved from his mouth to his cheek, down his jaw. It was all so much and so unexpected, Killian had to ask what was going on.

"I thought you were gone." Killian shook his head.

"I'm not leaving you, Emma. Not as long as you still want me." She smiled at that, her whole aura lighting up at his words.

"I will want you every day for the rest of my days, and even after that. You're it for me, Killian." His heart pounded in his ears as he held her close.

"I feel the same love. Which is why I've been down to the ship to tell the crew that I'm finished. I needed them to know that if it's a pirate's life they want, they'll need to find another Captain now." All of the men had wished him well, though most planned to look for another Captain after the banquet still to be held in their honor. Pip though, and Smee, had both decided to end their careers in piracy, favoring a life on land.

"You gave up your ship for me?" Emma asked, wonder in her voice.

"Technically I gave up my occupation. The ship, my love, is yours. Any sailing it does now will be for you and with you."

"But it's you're home." Killian shook his head at the thought. Maybe it had been at one time, but not for a while now.

"My home is wherever you are, love."

"Marry me." Killian felt so strongly in favor of her request but he was powerless to say it all right now. He lost much of the finesse he usually had with his words in the sight of such a beautiful possibility.

"Nothing would make me happier, but-" Emma interrupted him.

"But nothing. The reason I was so worried just now is because I had just finished petitioning my parents for the right to marry you, in front of a lot of people by the way, and you were nowhere to be found." Killian's jaw dropped.

"You _what_?!" Emma laughed, pressing another kiss to his lips lightly.

"I told the whole world I love you, and that I want to be with you. As a pirate or a princess, it doesn't matter to me. All that matters is you and me together." Killian kissed her then, taking her mouth with the passion and unparalleled joy he felt coursing through him until she finally pulled back. "Is that a yes?"

"It's more than that. It's a promise that as long as I live I will strive to deserve you, and that I will love you with every fiber of my being." With that, Killian got down on one knee before her, pulling from his pocket the ring he'd long hoped to give her. "Now, since you technically didn't ask me, love, allow me to do so. Emma, will you marry me? Will you be my wife and make me the happiest of men, knowing that if you say yes I will never leave you, and that each and every day I will endeavor to make you see just how much I love you?" Emma smiled again, happy tears forming in her eyes.

"Yes, Killian I will marry you." With an emotion that fell nowhere short of elation, Killian slid the sapphire ring onto her finger, having just enough of a moment to see it there and to nearly burst with pride. As he was about to kiss her again though, the doors opened once more and the royal family descended.

"Oh good, we didn't miss it! Or did we? Oh look Charming a ring, and it's beautiful!" Queen Snow prattled on, but neither Emma nor Killian looked away from each other.

"Are you ready for this?" Killian nodded.

"I'm ready for anything as long as I have you." Truer words had never been spoken, and though the future looked vastly different than the past now for Killian, he felt no fear. He only felt at peace with the life he'd secured himself, and immensely grateful for the chance to love his Swan.

….

Later that night, after much congratulations, a dinner that was more inquisition than meal, and an evening spent catching up with her brother in between his constant questions for her and Killian, Emma slipped into her bedroom and locked the door. Today had been incredible, so much had happened and everything that transpired symbolized a turning point for Emma. Her life was more than a destined path; it was a potentiality. Anything could happen, but now that anything would greet her with Killian at her side.

Speaking of her husband to be, Emma missed him, despite the fact that they'd only just taken their leave from one another a few minutes ago downstairs. The whole separate bed chambers on opposite ends of the castle idea was not something she appreciated after getting used to always being with him on the _Jolly Roger_ , but Emma had a plan, and Killian… well Killian would love it as soon as she convinced him that they wouldn't get caught. Call it instinct, but Emma believed she'd face just as much push back from him tonight as she had the one before, if not more.

Being at home did have its advantages though, and one was a far wider selection of things to wear. On the ship, Emma had only had the plainest of nightclothes, but tonight, she had something entirely different in mind. Pulling out a cream colored covering with red ribbon that she'd had made a while back on a whim, wanting something beautiful even if it was only to sleep it, Emma's veins pulsed with anticipation. She couldn't wait to see Killian's face. If she was lucky, it would look just as it had before when she told him about the end of the trial and professing her love for him to all those people.

Staring at herself in the mirror, the same one that she'd gazed in the night of her departure, Emma saw a completely different person. She looked more alive than ever before, happier than anyone had a right to be, and no longer uncertain. Now on the other side of a great battle, Emma looked forward to what life could be like in a time of peace. With her golden hair falling down in waves around her, and her eyes reflecting the firelight that the lanterns in her room provided, Emma felt truly beautiful. She knew herself now, as only a person who'd survived their darkest hour ever could, and she liked what she saw. Emma at last felt whole and content. Without further delay she flicked her wrist, transporting her from her room, to the one where Killian was staying, only to receive an even better reaction than she'd hoped for.

"Bloody hell, Emma, you can't just –" Killian hadn't been looking directly at her when she'd _poofed_ into the room, but the moment he did, his jaw practically hit the floor. He devoured every inch of her with his eyes as she did the same. He'd stripped himself of all his clothing aside from his pants, and all Emma wanted, all she craved, was to remove every last piece between them so she could be with her betrothed.

"I can't just what?" Emma asked playfully as she stepped towards him, running her hands down from his chest over the hard ridges of his abdomen. Her fingers came to tug at the tie of his pants, as she waited for his reply.

"You are a vision, love. The most beautiful being in all the realms." She smiled at that.

"Lucky for you that I also happen to be yours." The growl that came from his chest, as his arms came to wrap around her and his mouth came to kiss at her neck fueled Emma's own need for him. She quickly put up the necessary enchantments before he completely consumed her and then all hope of keeping this interlude a secret was lost.

"Say it again." The laugh bubbling inside her, transferred to a moan as his hands came underneath the nightgown, and moved across her skin.

"I'm yours, Killian." His responding grin, only added to the fact that he was most handsome man Emma had ever met.

"As I am yours, my love. Now, I think we are both more than deserving of this change in situation. I'd rather like to know what it's like to have you in a bed as large as this one." The shiver that moved through her body only amplified when Killian bared her skin to him once and for all, giving his hands and his mouth free reign to study her and worship ever inch of flesh exposed. Fire would feel less intense than this, but nothing could feel more unspeakably wonderful, aside from perhaps hearing him say that he loved her, which he did just at that moment.

"I love you, too Killian. So much." Killian hummed his appreciation for that as he kissed his way down her body. She knew exactly what was coming in theory, but every flick of his tongue against her skin, every suck, every nip, every lick felt charged to the thousandth degree. When his mouth latched on to her breast, and he brought one hand to attend to the other, while his other moved between her legs, Emma lost herself completely. Trust, in its realest, truest form, hung between them, but Emma wanted him just as lost and dazed with passion as she was. Her hands moved to grip his cock, and she reveled in the groan that spilled past his lips.

"You are a siren, love. There is simply no resisting you, and yet I must. For I've promised to see you happy."

"Watching you lose control because you love me would make me happy." How she managed to get the words out coherently given his level of attention with his magical fingers was beyond her. He ground his teeth as she continued to pump him with her hand.

"What I should have said then love, is that I will see you _satisfied_. Any wife of mine will want for nothing, and that especially applies when in our bed." Emma allowed herself to be distracted by Killian's calling it theirs. He pushed her hand away, just as he pushed her off the precipice into a climax she'd so desperately wanted all day.

Her release did nothing to slow him down as he moved further down her body, marking and kissing her all the while. The love between them pulsed like raw energy, and when his mouth came to her sex, her cry for more was nowhere near quiet. Hungrily, Killian lapped at her as she gripped the blankets on the bed for some sort of purchase. She tried to hold on, but his demand was too strong, his power over her body too precise and too soon she shattered again into bliss.

"Seeing you like this means more to me than nearly anything love. I cannot truly find what I need within these four walls, without watching you fall apart again and again just for me." Emma reached up to cup his cheek, her fingers running along his skin there as she looked into his blue eyes. He wanted her so much, loved her so fiercely, that she thought her heart might burst, but she persevered, they both did as they came together, finally seeking the chance to feel this ecstasy as one.

Lying there later, when they'd fully tired themselves out, spent with the exhaustion of their lovemaking, Emma smiled, tracing a swirling pattern over his chest.

"I hope I will get pregnant soon." Her words surprised Killian, but she watched that shock dissolve into loving tenderness soon enough.

"Do you want a lot of little ones?" She nodded as he kissed her forehead. "That is as it should be, for you will be an excellent mother."

"And you will be a wonderful father." He could only hope that would be true. What he did know, was that any child of theirs would never be without love, for they would all be pieces of Emma and him together, the representation of all that they were all that they could be. His hand moved over her stomach absently.

"A short engagement then, my love?" She nodded.

"I think I can get my mother down to one month from now. It's not ideal, but it's better than the year she used to threaten me with as a child." Emma yawned, stretching out her body a bit before coming back to hold him, nestled into his chest where she fit so perfectly.

"Sleep now, Emma, and know that we shall have a month of nights like this and then a lifetime of so much more."

"It sounds like a happily ever after." It did indeed, and since Emma was apart of it, Killian knew it would be absolute perfection.

 _ **Post-Note: From here on out, every moment of this story will be focused on happy fluff. No more doubts, no more leaving, only good old fashioned CS cuteness. I have the remaining two chapters outlined already, and always planned to end the story with these little glimpses into the happily ever after of Emma and Killian. I hope you guys will join me for those lost two installments, and as always, I really appreciate you reading, and all of your kind words. Have a lovely rest of your day, and thank you again!**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: This chapter is, to put it mildly, beyond fluffy. Seriously, all angst has been checked at the door as I begin to tie up just a few lose ends and give you guys a glimpse into the impending wedding and happy ending for Emma and Killian. This is the second to last installment, of a fic that has become a joy to write. I started this journey extremely unsure of how to go about writing an EF AU, and how exactly I wanted to construct my Captain Duckling prompted story, but in the end I've found that rhythm and that ease of writing I have with my other fics. I hope you all enjoy, and thanks as always for reading!**_

Arriving back in the Oldstown port, Emma had to appreciate how far she'd come since being here last. It hadn't been that long ago, a matter of weeks really, but in that time she'd ended an evil reign, saved her people, and most importantly surrendered to love. Now here she stood, hand in hand with the man who had her heart, walking from where they'd docked the _Jolly Roger_ , through the streets of this little village, to the one place she needed most to see in this port.

"To think I walked these streets before battling with my love for you and the unwavering belief I had that we would never happen." Killian's words made their way through the sweet smelling air and gave Emma pause. Her feet stopped for a moment as she pulled him closer and ran a hand across his cheek. She wouldn't kiss him out here in the open street, but she needed to look into his eyes and remind him that they were the realest thing in all the realms.

"We're a world away from where we started, it's true. But we were always going to happen." She ran her thumb across his upturned lips, tracing the edge of that crooked smile before retreating and allowing them to walk once more.

"I think the boy might like to see Miss Harriet privately while we tell the children the good news, love." Killian nodded to Pip who was flushing a bit at the comment and Emma smiled at the young man who had come to mean so much to her.

"Of course he should, but we'll wait to tell them until she comes outside again. Harriet's been holding this secret nearly a week, I'm sure she'll love to see their reaction."

"That she will, Princess. She loves them all as if they were her own." _And so will he_ , Emma thought as Pip walked ahead of them, moving towards the girl who'd never left his mind since first stepping in Oldstown.

"There's something about being in love that makes me want it for the whole world. I wish everyone could be this happy." Killian hummed his agreement.

"You are about to change the lives of these little ones, love, and when you tell them as much you will see nothing but cheerfulness and glee." Emma shook her head.

" _We_ are about to change their lives. We're in this together." Killian smiled once more, appeasing Emma's correction and taking it in stride as he always did.

"Aye, love."

The logistics of this move had come together far easier than one might think. To Emma though, most every task seemed easy now, for she'd faced real problems and real threats to her world and her life and the people she loved. This, in comparison, was an easily solvable puzzle. On the castle grounds there stood an older extension of the palace itself. All of Emma's life, it was used merely as a place to store old furniture and trinkets from the larger palace, but thanks to some hard work and an undeniable amount of determination, she and Killian and a number of the workers in the castle had cleaned it out, and made it livable for the incoming children. It was easily three times the size of the current house in which they lived, and updated with newer amenities and a sounder structure.

Though there was enough space for every child to have their own room, Emma had designed the place so as to keep the children's closeness in mind. She drew up who should be with who in the sleeping quarters, and which children probably preferred the time alone, and with all of the remaining space, they now had the option to help more children in the future, should the need ever arise. A further exploration of her kingdom would likely find more orphans in need of a second chance, and a place to feel safe and wanted, and some day soon, Emma expected that she and Killian would go off to find them.

Emma heard the light and airy laughter of children before turning the corner to see them, but it didn't prepare her for the reunion. The chorus of joy and happiness that sounded at her and Killian's return was exuberant and wonderful. Emma could hardly keep the tears from her eyes as she greeted all the children once more. As it was upon their first meeting, the first to truly draw her individual attention was little Moira, who Emma was delighted to see had found more of her voice since her leaving. It also struck Emma how close the young girl's name was to the entity that had helped Emma defeat Regina and save Killian.

"Do we call you Princess Emma now?" Emma smiled, though she was surprised that they knew who she really was.

"You can call me whatever you like." All of the children murmured about how they liked the sound of Princess, and how they'd always known she was special.

"Did you really stop the Evil Queen?" Sarah asked and Emma nodded, truly wondering where the children had heard all about this.

"Your reputation precedes you, love." Killian teased from behind her as he hoisted up one of the smaller boys in his arms who was looking for attention from him. Emma paused a minute, flustered by the image Killian made for when affectionate with the kids, before shaking away her ever present infatuation.

"It was the only way to get back here to my friends, and to make good on a promise I made to myself before leaving." Emma looked up to see that Harriet and Pip were standing in the doorway, able to hear and see all that was about to happen.

"What was the promise?"

"That I would return here someday and bring you all back to live in Misthaven." A beat of silence passed and then the most joyful kind of chaos descended. A million things were said at once, happy dancing and laughter and boisterous professions of thanks and excitement. It was all so much, Emma was swept away in the moment, feeling an incredible sense of rightness. This was a good thing they were doing, and Killian was right, they were changing lives for the better today.

Emma answered the firestorm of questions, often assisted by Killian, who was remarkable in his ability to hold all of the children's attention and to convince them that order was better for all of them than disarray. They told them all of how they'd get to continue their studies, and play on the castle grounds, about the hope to find them all families one day, and that no matter what they would always have Emma and Killian on their side. They also mentioned the impending royal wedding, which had each and every child wildly ecstatic. They all seemed fond of the idea that a pirate and a princess would fall in love like them, and Emma was quite taken with the story too.

When Harriet finally intervened and instructed the children to pack their things, Emma stepped into Killian's embrace and reveled in the warmth of his arms. It had fast become her favorite place in the world. Here she felt safe and unconcerned with bad or scary or negative things.

"Thank you," Emma whispered to him, watching surprise seep into his crystal blue eyes.

"For what, love?" Emma gave a happy sigh.

"For bringing me here, for understanding that this was something I needed to do, and for loving me like you do." Killian smiled, kissing her softly.

"There's no need to thank me, Emma." Maybe not, but she did it all the same. Emma didn't want a day to pass where he didn't know how grateful she was, and in a way saying it to him put it out into the Universe. Emma was truly happy in a way she'd never dreamed possible, and something, some force out there whether it was fate or destiny or her own determination had granted her this joy. She'd never take that gift for granted, and as long as she lived, she'd never forget her good fortune to be here with Killian now and always.

….

Not a single cloud attempted to dull the clear blue skies as they sailed one more towards Misthaven, and Killian noted how the winds were inescapably in their favor. At this rate, the sail back to the castle would be short and sweet, merely a day or two at most, but that was for the best. Despite his loving this ship, and celebrating his easier ability to be with his Emma here, he was all too aware of the presence of their current passengers. The children, and their caretaker were all awe and wonder here on the high seas, but they were also a lot of work, and Killian worried about the sleeping situation later. Emma, though, assured him that all was well. She'd enchanted the ship to keep it safe for their young charges and was confident the set up would work as long as they needed it to.

"If I may say so, Captain, I think I rather prefer it this way." Killian didn't need to ask Smee what he meant by ' _it_ ,' for his second in command surely meant the life of a sailor. Killian had long known that the man wasn't a devout pirate, certainly not when it came to a fondness for pillaging and raiding and the like. Smee was simply a man who loved the sea, and a man who liked order. More than once, Smee had counseled Killian on right and wrong before Killian's reunion with Emma, and Killian believed that he'd saved him from some of his own darker tendencies.

"As do I Smee, and you will be seeing this kind of life far more upon our return." Smee grinned, for he had been particularly honored by Emma and inducted the guardian and warden of the _Jolly Roger_. Smee would remain with the ship, filling it with his own crew, and would now be in charge of facilitating more good deeds throughout the realm. The man was clearly thrilled at the prospect, but when Killian had told him that he would now be Captain Smee, Smee shook his head, insisting that to Killian he should always be a second. Thus, Killian felt comfortable about the upkeep and honor of his ship. This would not be his last time captaining it by many means, but his love had calls on her attention, and his heart would not let him ever leave her again.

"They make her very happy," Killian followed Smee's gaze to see that he meant Emma and the children. She was endless patience in the face of their excitement and curiosity, and Killian's chest tightened at the sight. All day he'd been battling with the basest of urges inside him. He wanted that – a life with Emma as his wife and children to fill their home and their hearts. For so long he'd believed having her at all was impossible, but as destiny had brought them together, his dreams for them only grew.

"They do indeed." Killian's eyes never left Emma's, watching the shining brightness that manifested in the green depths of her gaze, and the way her smile enhanced everything around her. The full, rich sunlight of this perfect day could not compare to her, though it made her almost ethereal as it clung to her golden hair and kissed her creamy skin.

"You make her happy too, Captain." Killian grinned, knowing that was true, and as if the mention of them together out loud summoned her stare, she glanced his way, and stole the breath from his lungs with the genuine smile she gave him. That was the real miracle in all of this, the part of it all that was so unbelievably good – she loved him just as much as he loved her. Their being true love guaranteed it.

"Captain Jones?" Killian looked down to the young boy before him, and recognized him as Thomas, the young lad with a magical propensity. "I was wondering if I could ask you something."

"Anything, lad." Killian bent down to talk with him, giving him his full attention.

"Princess Emma told me that you know the castle, and her brother the Prince." Understanding dawned on Killian. Thomas would be receiving his magical training at the castle now, and it was decided by Emma and by Tinkerbelle that he would study with the fairy and with Prince Neal. This would cause anyone anxiety, to be working with royalty like that.

"Aye, he is a very bright and a very kind lad, Prince Neal." Thomas looked hopeful.

"Really?" Killian smiled.

"Captain's honor." The relief washing over the young boy tugged at Killian's heartstrings. There was no need to be afraid, and soon Thomas would truly understand that. The boy turned to leave, but seemed to remember something, rotating to look at Killian once more.

"You're light changed, by the way." It took a moment to grasp what he meant, but then Killian remembered the strange sort of conversation he'd had with Thomas weeks past.

"Has it?" Thomas nodded, smiling.

"You and Princess Emma have the same one now, like they mixed to make a new one." Without another word, Thomas turned back to rejoin the other children, but Killian remained rooted in place, struck by the words. He looked once more to Emma who stared at him curiously. She mouthed the words _'I love you,'_ and again he smiled, finding his ability to move once more as he came towards her and whispered his own affirmation of his feeling to her personally.

….

Nothing felt more freeing than being with Killian, and despite the fact that they were still a week away from their marriage, their presence on the _Jolly Roger_ allowed Emma and Killian more room to be together. Actually… more room was an arguable way of putting it, at least it had been during the day. The ship was filled with children, and that had restricted some of the indulgences Emma and Killian allowed themselves on the trip to retrieve them. Now though, hours after leaving the upper decks and wishing the children goodnight in their quarters, Emma basked in the feeling of Killian's arms around her in bed.

With an extra heavy duty round of enchantments (she could never be too careful, since there were little ones around), Emma created a once again safe, comfortable, quiet space for her and Killian to come together, and just as it was every other time, the love between them shone brighter than anything else Emma had ever known. Now in the quiet lull of contentment that passed between them, Emma thought about what was next.

The wedding was a week away, which meant that in one week's time Emma would stand up in front of all the world and tell them she loved Killian and that they would be one unit all the rest of their lives. Not that most of her subjects didn't know that after her speech at the trial, but still. It promised to be a romantic affair that Emma would remember all the days of her life. But what would life beyond that look like? In the darkened quiet of their room, Emma considered what she wanted.

Another day in the company of these children told Emma many things as to what she might like her future to look like. For one, she loved helping people, and to see improvement in the lives of her subjects, at least to Emma, felt like some of the most fulfilling work she could ever partake in. She hoped to be a fair and just ruler, a Queen that brought prosperity to the peace she'd procured. But she also wanted more personal growth and changes. Seeing Killian with all of these kids today only cemented her already present desire to have their own children. Emma had always wanted a big family someday, but for years she'd been focusing her energy on defeating Regina. Now she was free from such considerations.

"You're awfully thoughtful tonight, love." Killian said as he pressed a gentle kiss to her shoulder.

"Just thinking about the future." He smiled, and Emma felt herself warm at its soft, affectionate nature.

"Do you see one for the two of us, a happy one?" She nodded and he moved his hand, tracing absentminded patterns along her arm. "What does it look like, love?"

"Well there's a wedding obviously, and then a good solid month after the wedding where we completely lose ourselves in each other." He hummed approvingly at that, pulling her closer and Emma laughed slightly at the feeling of him it brought forth.

"And then?" Emma hesitated only a moment before replying.

"Then a family of our own of course." Killian smiled, relieving the tension she'd felt at the thought. They'd talked of this before, but she hadn't been so upfront about how large a family she wanted.

"Sounds like our dreams for the future line up perfectly love. How many little ones do you think you'll be wanting?" Emma blushed, and bit her lip before replying.

"I always wanted more brothers and sisters." Killian nodded, as if he anticipated that response.

"As did I, love. So what are we thinking. Four? Five?" Emma stayed quiet and Killian's eyes grew wider, but in them, Emma saw an incredible level of wanting.

"I always thought six was a pretty good number."

"Just enough to make own little gaggle of heroes." Emma could see it now, the bustling, happy, big brood of children that looked like a mixture of her and Killian. It was a wonderful dream, and one she decided that she wanted to get to work on right away.

"There's nothing saying we have to wait to make that dream a reality." Killian smirked.

"Technically we haven't been waiting." He was right of course, and arguably she could be pregnant even now, which made Emma so happy.

"Let me rephrase then. There's nothing to say we shouldn't keep trying." Her hand moved from his chest, down his abdomen until she took his now hard length in hand. He groaned a bit at the contact, and she knew she had him, just as she always did.

"I like the way you think, love." Reenergized from the prospect of everything still before them, Emma and Killian succumbed to the throws of passion once more, as Killian came to rise above her.

Emma knew she would never tire of this, of the feel of his hands and his mouth on her as he drove them both crazy with pleasing her. He took his time, kissing her lips and then creeping down her jaw to her neck, paying special attention to each and every point he knew effect her. Killian never wanted to rush, even though Emma so desperately wanted instant gratification. The fire in his eyes, and the disparity of his motions, crossing back and forth between gentle and rough while remaining slow and meticulous, told Emma that any release now would be unhurried, and earned. Each one would be a testament of love and trust and a manifestation of Killian's want to provide for her and to treasure her always.

When his mouth came to latch at her breast, Emma wriggled beneath him, caught as she always was in the feeling of him and the way he knew exactly what she most wanted. Even now, all these weeks later, while Emma would consider herself an incredibly quick learner and an eager to please pupil of how to pleasure him, Killian continued to show her what it meant to truly join together. While one hand came to taunt her other breast, the other slid between her thighs, his fingers teasing her with what magic they could bring.

"I do believe all this talk about futures and families has you ready and willing for me already, love." Emma could only moan as his thumb grazed her clit and two of his fingers thrust inside her. It wasn't enough, not nearly, seeing as she wanted all of him, but coupled with the gruff feel of his beard and the continued attentions to her aching nipples and Emma was lost. She couldn't find the means to say she needed more, probably because she knew that Killian would always give it to her just when the time was right.

" _Killian_!" His name came out as more cry for more than plea as he withdrew from her breasts and kissed lower. The anticipation nearly killed Emma, as he slowly peppered kisses down her body, hovering just above her abdomen.

"The thought of you swollen here with our child does things to me, Emma. It makes me want so much more, when I hardly thought that possible." Emma had no idea how he kept his own need tampered down through all this. She knew he was just as ready for release as she was, but he didn't take it yet, as if he needed a level of her satisfaction to occur before he could ever take his. He'd told her as much before, but it still astonished her.

"Take me, you have me, all of me." Killian growled, forcing her legs farther apart with his hands as he lifted her sex up to his mouth and Emma dissolved into those familiar but always blindingly brilliant sensations of desire. With just the right pressure, and special attention to her clit, Killian owned her and her desire in this moment. Emma could barely think, but knowing that he would never take advantage of how much she loved him and wanted and needed him only fueled the fire low in her belly, until finally he gruffly demanded that she let go.

She did just that, flying off into pure bliss and letting the daze of climax overtake her for a moment, as Killian kissed his way back up her body, again stalling at the place she'd carry their child. This time Emma used his distraction to her advantage, eagerly changing their positions so she was the one on top, and arguably in control, until Killian reached his hands to trace soft patterns against her hips.

"Sometimes I wonder how any one person can own me so completely, and then you look at me and I realize I don't need to know why. All that matters is that you do." Emma could feel the pounding of her heart in her chest, and the bit of mistiness that came to her eyes and the words. They were so sweet, so sincere, and so not what she expected when they were both so near losing themselves in each other. She bent down to kiss him, running her hands over his chest until she pulled back and settled them into a rhythm of coming together designed to give them both what they so dearly wanted. They found it, of course, and when they did, they returned once more to how they had been, quietly luxuriating in the comfort of the others embrace.

….

"Now I know you said you weren't so taken with the idea of flower garlands, but I just think they'll be so much better suited to the great hall than wreaths would be." From his spot in the doorway, Killian watched as Emma tried her best to listen to her mother's continued musings on the details of their wedding which was now just a few days away. What was supposed to be a day for Emma and Killian had become an event worthy of a Princess, and to be honest, it was beginning to reflect her mother's dreams more than Emma's.

"It's just so much. I understand you want a royal wedding. It's for the people and for morale, and I understand that. I just don't think most of this is really necessary." Queen Snow frowned at the comment and once again Killian could see that Emma felt guilty for denying her mother what she wanted, even if it was Emma's day. She sighed, summoning forth her patience again, and Killian marveled at just how strong she really was. Emma was a big enough person to sacrifice the details of seating charts, and flowers, and musical tastes if it made her mother happy.

"Pardon me, your Highness." Emma turned at the sound of Killian's voice, and he saw when her eyes met his that his presence relieved her. She knew intuitively that he was here to rescue her from more mundane wedding planning, and so he pressed on with his plan. "Tinkerbelle has run into some trouble with Prince Neal and Thomas' tutoring and could use some assistance from Emma."

"If it's really that important." No sooner had the words left Snow's mouth, than Killian was walking over to Emma and extending his arm. She stood, accepting it quickly, as Killian humbly thanked Queen Snow. The woman liked him, and was charmed by him, which made their escape all the easier. When they were finally out of ear shot though, Emma threw herself into Killian's arms.

"You are truly my hero." Killian couldn't help but chuckle as he held her tight.

"Soon enough this will all be over love. We will be man and wife, and presumably there will be no more giant touchstones for your mother to plan with such energy and conviction." Emma groaned and Killian smiled as she rolled her eyes.

"Clearly you don't know my mother. She loves a good party, and treats even the most mundane event as something deserving her all." Killian took Emma's hand in his, and they moved outside. His words to the Queen were not untrue, per se, but he'd told Tink that they'd be there in half an hour's time. That gave them some space to breathe, and just be alone, which they had not had much of in daylight hours since returning from Oldstown.

Emma caught him up on all of her mother's ideas and beliefs about what made a real royal wedding as the two strolled through the gardens, eventually stopping in the portion with the hedgerow of roses. Their arrival seemed to interrupt Emma's line of thinking, and for a moment she went silent, before clutching Killian's hand a little tighter.

"Every time I come here I'm struck by all the memories," she said, clutching the pendant he'd given her years ago as Killian reached out, plucking a single rose from its place on the bush, and handed it to Emma. They'd been so busy since the trial and the engagement that they hadn't had much time to spend in this serene little bubble that this garden represented. Hopefully after the wedding ceremony that would change.

"As am I, love." Killian brought her hand up and placed a gentle kiss upon it, a subtle reminder to them both that they were no longer the same two young people separated by birth and circumstance that they had been. Now it was their right to walk the world together, where their first meeting here had been a stolen moment.

"Now I can't help thinking of all the new one's we'll make here. This feels like the place that we really began, so it's only right that we should keep coming back."

Killian agreed, as an idea struck – there was no better place for their wedding than right here in this garden. Though it filled him with excitement and though he knew this thought had the power to bring Emma great happiness if he spoke the sentiment aloud, he waited to share it until he'd secured the possibility. He kept quiet on the matter spending his remaining time alone with Emma speaking of other things, until bringing her to Tinkerbelle's study and taking his leave momentarily. He was happy to find the Queen still perched in the same spot that she'd been in before, this time joined by her husband.

"Oh Killian! I'm glad to see you, come, tell us which of these place settings would be better? The white or the eggshell?" Killian regarded both, seeing no real noticeable difference.

"Either is lovely, mam, but I've come to ask your permission on another matter entirely." Snow and Charming exchanged a look between themselves.

"Son, you already have our blessing to marry Emma." Killian nodded.

"Aye, my request is a means to make her happy on our wedding day. I was hoping we might be married outside, in the rose garden." Charming instantly grinned while Snow looked shocked.

"You want us to move the wedding outside? This late in the planning, it would be –" Charming silenced his wife with a kiss on the cheek.

"Nothing more than we could all handle. I've seen you take on worse problems. Besides, Killian is right, it would make Emma happy." The reassurance from her husband softened Queen Snow's features considerably and she looked at Killian once more.

"The rose garden it is then. But now that there's so much more to consider, I will insist that you too suffer through the planning." Killian conceded, laughing a bit at the fact that Snow was conscientious enough to realize how smothering her efforts were. It made no difference though, for as always, Killian appreciated the chance to sit by Emma's side.

Telling his wife-to-be of the change in plan was of course the greatest pay off, and to say she was glad at the new arrangement was an understatement. Seeing Emma that way calmed every part of Killian, healed away any trace of scars left on his heart, and Killian knew that as long as he lived, he'd work to put that same smile on her face and that same light in her eyes. Though they may be days away from saying _'I do'_ Emma was already his life and his world, and he would gladly spend forever reminding her of that.

 _ **Post-Note: So as I said, just a bit of light fluffiness for this installment. The final chapter will be a series of snapshots into Emma and Killian's happily ever after, and I hope you all join me for it. Also hope you are all having a lovely week and thanks for reading!**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: I cannot believe we are here already, at the finale of another story. This has been such a wonderful writing experience for me, and I am wrapping it up the way I believe this AU deserves – with snapshots of the happily ever after that Emma and Killian have earned throughout this story. We have Emma and Killian's wedding, the birth of Emma and Killian's last two children, another engagement, and Emma's eventual coronation. I'm also incorporating some of the lyrics from the song that inspired the title and the whole idea of the fates watching over Emma (**_ **Hamilton** _ **for the win) and so much fluff that it should satisfy us all. Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy!**_

In all her life, Emma couldn't remember a moment where she'd waited for something with more anticipation. Today was the day that she would marry Killian, she would become his wife and he her husband. At last they'd be bound in every way, and Emma could hardly contain her joy at such a prospect.

"I don't think I've ever seen you so happy, Emma." Queen Snow's words brought Emma's eyes to the doorway where her mother stood, dressed in a beautiful blue dress for the occasion. Snow's wide eyes held tears in them, some spilling passed her cheeks, but she wiped them away, walking towards Emma with arms outstretched until she'd taken Emma's hands into her own. "You look so beautiful."

"Thank you," Emma looked back into the mirror to see the image of her in her wedding dress staring back at her. The finest seamstresses in the Kingdom designed it for her, crafting it from cream colored silk. With a long flowing train, and sleeves made of the most delicate lace, it was far and away the most gorgeous dress she'd ever worn, but it held little in comparison to what lay ahead for Emma. She could be wearing an old sack that once carried potatoes and she'd be happy, as long as she could say yes to Killian today. Her mother, though, would never allow something like that for her only daughter and the future Queen.

"Are you nervous?" Snow asked.

"No, not even a little." Her mother laughed at Emma's certain tone.

"I was just the same way with your father, but I suppose that's how it goes with true love." At that moment, a loud knock came from the doorway, and there stood Charming with just as much pride in his eyes as Snow. "Speak of the Devil. I suppose it's time then." Emma's father nodded, and Snow pressed a kiss to Emma's forehead.

"I love you, Emma."

"I love you too." Her mother then took her leave, giving Emma and her father the room alone. Her father stayed quiet, just looking at Emma as if trying to take everything in.

"I didn't realize how hard this would be." Emma's brow furrowed and her father clarified. "Not to see you marry Killian, but to see you marry at all. It feels like yesterday I was holding you in my arms for the first time. Now here we are."

"There were a few other happenings between my birth and today though." Emma's attempt at a joke to lighten his mood helped somewhat, for Charming offered her a small smile, but still he remained rather serious instead of his usual light and open self.

"Someday you will have your own children and you'll understand what I mean. It flies by too quickly, but I have cherished every moment of being your father, Emma." Now Emma could feel the tears in her eyes too as she nodded.

"I will always be your little girl in my heart," Emma said taking her father's hand in hers and he squeezed tight, shaking away his last bit of melancholy and offering her his arm.

"Shall we?" Emma felt more than ready to move forward and so they walked through the castle, down to the grand staircase and out into the gardens.

When they first turned the corner to see the ceremony full on, and Emma's eyes met Killian's for that first time, the spark between them lit all the hope and excitement and love in her heart into a raging inferno. Emma walked as if floating towards him, and when her father finally presented her hand to Killian's and they touched, Emma searched those cerulean depths only to find that he felt the same way.

Emma missed so much of what the man conducting the ceremony said, focused as she was on Killian. She caught only the occasional word about the sacred union of marriage and what it meant for this Kingdom that a Princess was to marry. Instead she focused on how dashing he looked, not in regimentals but in finer clothes than she normally saw him in. He maintained the darker colors, never leaving the essence of his life as a pirate far from her imagining. He was the man she'd always trusted in and wished for, and he was real and so close to being hers she could taste it, just as she could taste the kiss she yearned for from his lips.

Not until their individual vows, which Emma and Killian both adamantly wanted to make their own, did Emma give her full attention back to the words being said. Killian went first, a smile toying at his lips, and his voice steady as he spoke, washing over Emma like a gentle wave upon the sands.

"Emma, since our first meeting I have known in my heart that you were the one person on this earth my heart would always yearn for. Your kindness, your spirit, your beauty, they were all just facets of the most amazing woman in all the realms. Years ago you cast a spell upon me, not one brought by magic but by love. The spell never broke, not through the years we were apart, or the loss of my brother. You were always there, a memory of how good life could be, how bright and warm the world could feel in the presence of the right person.

"You found me again years later, and though you had a destiny, a burden that needed conquering, you handled it with the same grace that you face all things. _You_ , Emma, are a miracle, not just for this Kingdom and for its people, but for me. I would not be standing here redeemed without you. You have been my salvation and my faith all in one. My life is tied to yours. Every part of me belongs to you, and through some stroke of chance or fate, you are mine as well. I cannot imagine how it's happened, but I promise that each and every day I will endeavor to deserve you. I will never let a day pass where you do not know how much I love you, how I have always loved you.

"While I wish I'd known all those years ago, when I was young and hopeful but seemingly destined for heartache, that this would come to be, I'm also glad I didn't. It took the time away for me to face my own darkness, for me to grow and change and become the man you needed. I know that we can win against any foe, and I know that greatness lies in you and I together, love. Whatever life may bring, all I ask if that you let me stand by your side, to protect you and to love you, all the days of my life and ever there after."

By now, tears had spilled passed Emma's cheeks, but not ones of sadness. They held the most profound sense of happiness in every droplet. Killian brought his hand up to wipe them away, and his touch grounded her from the swirls of joy and reminded her that now it was her time, to speak her truth and to promise him forever just as he'd done for her.

"All my life I felt like I was waiting. Waiting for the darkness beyond our borders to find its way to me, waiting for the moment I would become the savior, and waiting to taste what it meant to be something other than a princess of prophecy. I wanted nothing more in the world than to be seen for me, but I never was. I was a daughter, a sister, a royal, a beacon of hope. Not until you did I feel what it was like to just be Emma and to have someone want me for who I am, not what I'm meant to do.

"When you left the first time, I knew that I would likely wait forever to find someone like you again. You had my heart already, but our paths were different, the tides pulled us apart, and some nights I just lay awake worrying that I would never see you again, and that because of that, no one would ever see me. Then it happened – our paths crossed again and it was like no time had passed at all. I still loved you with everything in me, and that love, and the love you have for me saved me so that I could save my people. You said our destinies are intertwined, that's putting it lightly. Without you, I cannot succeed. Without you I cannot be all of who I need to be.

"I thought my life and my story and my world was little more than prophecy and inescapable burden. You changed that, Killian. You made me believe that destiny wasn't this terrifying thing, this hopeless cause, but a way for me to find happiness. Not the kind that revels in glory or pride or titles, but the one that comes from your heart and mine being one, and from finding each other even when the whole world seems against it. I swear that I will always find you, fight for you and love you. No matter what tomorrow brings, no matter what our story becomes to the rest of the world, know that I love you, and that I will always love you from now until forever."

Disregarding the rest of the ceremony, Killian pulled Emma in for a kiss, demanding but pure only to pull back to say _'I do'_ and for Emma to do the same. With that they were wed, and after a night of drinking and dancing and celebrating all the merits of true love, Emma and Killian returned once more to the _Jolly Roger_ , to set sail on a new adventure, and to start this union that was always meant to be.

…

Two new miracles – Killian could hardly believe it as he pressed a kiss to his lovely Emma's forehead. Last night they welcomed their fifth and sixth child, twins who had given their mother a harder time than their siblings before them. They were clear on the other side now though, and his youngest son and daughter were the picture of calm cradled to their parents' chests while Killian and Emma lay beside each other in their bed.

"They're so beautiful," Emma whispered and Killian nodded, for there was no denying such an apparent truth.

"Have you thought of names yet, my love?" Emma smiled, cradling their son closer to her chest, and humming in an affirmative sound. So far they'd had an even split of children, two boys, and two girls, and Killian and Emma had each named one of each. Killian supposed that tradition would hold and that this time they'd each settle on one name that the other instinctively agreed with.

"Ryder." Killian brought his hand up to clutch his son's tiny little fist, and the small boy's fingers tightened around one of Killian's. Killian chuckled, seeing it as testament that his boy would be determined and driven, much like his brothers, Liam and Seamus, and he would wager that those somewhat cloudy eyes would one day shine the same shade as Emma's.

"A good, strong name." As if sounding his agreement, Ryder made a soft gurgle, but didn't proceed to fuss as Killian returned his attention to his sister. This lovely little girl, the darling who'd arrived minutes after her brother, becoming the youngest of his children, was all attention, staring up at Killian as if he was the most fascinating of subjects. She'd done the same with Emma earlier, clearly curious about the world around her and trying to take it all in after only hours on the planet.

"And hers?" Emma asked, bending down to nuzzle her daughter with her nose, drawing a curtain of golden hair over both of their children that caused a sneeze from Ryder. Emma pulled back laughing lightly.

"Rose." Killian didn't need to specify why the name would be significant. This little girl was named for the blossoms that came in spring and summer, coloring the gardens of this palace, and by association, his and Emma's favorite place in this home they'd created. If she took after her mother, and her older sisters Hope and Lizzy, then little Rose would be just as beautiful as her namesake, and just as much a treasure.

"It's perfect. _They're_ perfect." Killian noticed the tears in Emma's eyes, the same ones that came in all of their life's greatest moments. To see her so joyful and so content, and to know that he'd been part of bringing such a happiness to her heart, did Killian's own spirit well.

A knock sounded at the door, followed by a soft giggle and the telltale stage whispers of his other children. It seemed the time had come to show their sons and daughters these last two additions to their family. Killian gently moved from his spot on the bed, kissing Emma lightly before opening the door. He raised a finger to his lips in a show of quiet but all four of his other children looked in wonder at him and the bundle in his arms.

"They came! And they're so tiny!" Lizzy said, immediately moving to hug Killian's side. At only four, she was precious in her already abundant love for the new babes.

"You were once that tiny too," Liam said as he moved to check in on his mother and new brother. He was nine, and every day growing more and more. Emma insisted he looked just like Killian aside from his bright green eyes, but Killian saw a lot of the Uncle he'd been named for in his son too. He was responsible, and always wanted to do what was right, even if it wasn't what was easy.

"Was I really, Daddy?" Lizzy asked and he nodded.

"Aye, lass, you were." Killian felt a tug at his shirt and saw it was Seamus, quiet as ever in a way uncommon for the average six year old.

"May I hold her?" Killian nodded, sitting his son down on a chair, and showing him just how to cradle Rose's head to protect her. Where Liam was all responsibility, Seamus was the little protector of this clan and others. Killian noticed more than once how Seamus watched out for everyone, not just for his siblings, but for the orphans in the old palace too. He liked to make sure everyone was safe, almost like a mini savior of sorts.

Killian looked over at Emma again, once certain that Seamus held Rose safely, to see that Hope had taken Ryder from her mother. His wife though, shot Killian a look and mouthed a question about where her parents were. Usually they were chomping at the bit to be in the room and meet the new babies, and it was Killian who had to insist Emma and the little ones needed time and rest.

"Grandma and Grandpa said you have one more day before they bang down the door." Hope's words came while her gaze was steadily on the baby in her arms and Killian beamed with pride. His daughter was already very strong in her magic, and her mother's intuition and instincts had manifested nicely in Hope. While all of their children had and would have gifts, Killian believed that magically, it might be Hope who held the same kind of power as Emma.

"How generous," Emma joked, rising from the bed and coming to stand with Killian. He wrapped her in his arms, careful to make sure he didn't hurt her at all. She must still be exhausted, but she'd never show it, not with the children here.

"Are these the last babies?" Little Lizzy asked and Emma nodded.

"Yes, darling they are." Lizzy gave a little pout but then brightened up. She pushed back her unruly blonde hair and scooted closer to Seamus where he held Rose.

"We'll just love them extra hard then." Emma and Killian watched their daughter press a kiss to her new sister's nose and then giggle at Rose's reaching for her face.

"Quite a life we have here, my love." Emma rested her head against him.

"It's better than I ever dared to dream." Killian felt the same, and he had a feeling, it would only continue to be this wonderful.

….

Looking around the great hall, Emma could not escape the feeling that today was a very good day. There was just something about the way the wind whistled and the sunlight came through the window with yellow golden rays that told her something was coming. Hope could feel it too, and her thirteen-year-old was very rarely wrong when it came to things like this.

"Still convinced that something is upon us, love?" Emma turned to see her husband smiling at her and in an instant she knew that he had knowledge about whatever that something might be.

"If I wasn't before, I am now. You know something." Killian grinned.

"Aye, love I do. And I'd be willing to let you in on the little secret…" Emma could feel the heat between them when he lowered his voice like this, elongating his phrasing to tell her that there was something more to it.

" _If_?" He brought her into his arms, and Emma relished the warmth they still had together all these years later.

"There's no price, Emma. But I would never turn down a kiss from my wife if she was so inclined." Emma brought her lips closer to him just to stop short and whisper suggestively.

"I'd be willing to give you _so_ much more, Captain." Killian groaned and kissed her, with desire and passion just like it was their first kiss all over again. Only when they heard the outcries of their children behind them did Emma pull away.

"Mummy, not now. We're going to miss it!" Emma stifled a laugh as she watched her daughter Rose standing in front of all her children, hands on her hips, looking at Emma and Killian as if they were children in need of a scolding.

"More of that later, love." Killian whispered in Emma's ear as they went outside, winding their way to the gardens. When they reached the hedgerow, Killian stopped, motioning to all of them to keep quiet.

"What is it?" Emma whispered, just for all of her children to subsequently shush her, creating a far louder sound than her question had. Killian held Emma close and whispered low.

"He's finally going to ask her." Emma didn't even need a clarification on who they could mean. ' _He'_ must be her younger brother Neal, and if Emma's hopes were answered, he was going to ask Moira, who was now a grown woman, to be his wife. Ever since bringing the orphaned children from Oldstown to the castle, they'd shared a special bond, and while Thomas had fast become Neal's best friend, little Moira was the one who stole most of his attention. They'd all watched for years as that protectiveness turned towards friendship and then love.

"Uncle Neal should have found his own spot, though," Liam said. "This one belongs to you two." Killian took Emma's hand as he also put his arm around their eldest son.

"It belongs to all of us, and it always will."

From their spot, all ten of them (for of course Emma's parent joined too) peered at the proposal, which was accepted in the happiest of manners, since Moira was just as taken with Neal as he was with her. The little ones were all so excited to see their Uncle happy, but Emma noticed that her older children looked on with more than joy. In their eyes she saw a bit of yearning, that some day they may have love like that too, and Emma wished with all her heart that they would, for she knew what kind of wonder such a love could bring, and it was the best of all things in any realm or place or time.

…..

"Do you swear to defend and protect the people of this Kingdom all the days of your reign?" The officiant asked Emma in front of the hundreds of people in the great hall. She stood before them, wearing a red dress cut precisely to her figure, with her hair braided and looking like the embodiment of what a Queen should be.

Killian knew in his heart that Emma would be the greatest of rulers, and that she would never give her subjects and this Kingdom anything less than her all. His wife was called to be their leader, and Emma would do everything in her power to see their lives better for her having worn this crown. How she managed to be so effortlessly good, he would never know, but he marveled at how true a treasure it was.

Even Regina, the woman who for so long had cast a shadow on this realm, who had chosen darkness and revenge at the cost of many lives, had found her peace through Emma. The visions in the mist that Emma showed her years ago were true and now she'd found her love and her children. But more than that the Evil Queen found the strength to atone for everything she'd done wrong and to change who she was in the name of what was right. Regina had even gone so far as to write a letter to Emma, thanking her and wishing her well as Queen. The message arrived this morning, and Killian saw it as a sign that with Emma's light leading the way, even the darkest of demons could be overcome.

"I do." Emma's agreement cemented the final of her vows to take her spot on the throne, but instead of staying focused on the proceedings before her, Emma reached her hand up to hold the pendant he'd given her years ago with the Swan engraved on it, and cast her eyes away from the official to look at Killian. His chest filled with pride where he stood beside her father, and that bloomed into nothing but the purest love when she smiled at him and mouthed the words _'I love you.'_

"Then I decree you Emma, Queen of Misthaven." The crown was moved from Queen Snow's head and placed upon Emma's as the call went out to her people. "Long may she reign!"

"Long may she reign!" The loudest in the crowd were their children, and Killian looked over at them, seeing how much they'd grown, and how they'd all begun to bloom into individuals. They would always have Emma and Killian to love and support them, and their other siblings to do the same, but they were also starting to find themselves. Each of them was set for their own journey, and Killian couldn't wait to see everything life had in store for them.

The rest of the day was filled with celebration, and the happy reconnecting of old friends for Emma's newest milestone. Amongst those friends were Anna and Elsa, who brought their families along as well for this momentous occasion. While their parents were no longer the rulers of their Kingdom, the old King and Queen were watching over the palace back in Arendelle for Elsa so that they all might come and visit with Emma on her coronation. Killian was very thankful for that, for his wife missed her friend dearly and was pleased by the surprise of her having made it after all.

The Kingdoms of Misthaven and Arendelle remained close, and had been since Emma's mission was complete, but this when time the families interacted Killian noticed a new potential connection between the two: Elsa's only daughter Andrea was being closely watched by Killian and Emma's son, Seamus. Whether Seamus noticed it or not, he was hovering around her, watching her like a hawk even though he barely said a word to her. Killian could see in his son's gaze the same burning of emotion Killian had for Emma at the start and he wondered if the feelings were returned.

"You're trying to think of ways to bring them together," Emma's words pulled Killian's attention back from his son and he saw her smiling at him, a bit of teasing in her emerald eyes. "I married a pirate and a match maker it seems."

"I rather like the idea of our children being spared the pain of a broken heart, love." Emma took Killian's hand and intertwined their fingers, bringing them up to kiss his gently. It was an intimate gesture, one they'd shared many times, but it still set his heart racing all the same.

"Your daughters are already on the case." Killian smiled at that, knowing that if that was true, Seamus and Andrea would have no choice but to be together in the end. Both he and Emma looked at all of their children interacting with their life long friends and felt at peace. "I heard them saying something about a diplomatic envoy on the _Jolly Roger_."

"Well we know it to be a decent place to fall in love at least. That ship has quite a legacy for bringing hearts together." Emma looked back at him, tilting her head slightly.

"Any place is a good place to fall in love as long as you have the right person."

What else was there to say but that? For she was right, and Killian looked to them as proof. Each and every day he fell a little more in love with his lovely Swan, and it mattered not where they were or where they were going, all that mattered was that they did it hand in hand. Without another word he kissed her, and thought again just how well destiny had worked out for them in the end.

….

" _Have you ever seen such a story?" The guardian of present asked her sister of the past. She herself could not remember such a tale in all the destinies they'd waded through, in all the fates they'd played a hand in and watched over for eons. A Queen with such a legacy, and with such a propensity for love was quite miraculous, and they had watched it all unfold for years now._

" _I have not. The past is filled with love, but not a love like that."_

" _And the future?" The third sister stared into her own crystal pool, wading in a vision, or perhaps more than one at once, her eyes lit up by whatever images she saw._

" _There are more of such stories on the horizon. All six of their children are destined for greatness in some form or other. Their success has brought forth a new day of hope for many generations to come." The sisters nodded, and though it was but a small sign, they all smiled. Not every day did someone come along to interest souls as old as theirs, but Princess Emma and her chosen love had, and the sisters were glad that the couple was content. Thus with the blessing of the fates, the sisters of destiny, it was then a certainty that Emma and Killian always would be blissfully, irrevocably, and undeniably happy._

 _ **Post-Note: Okay so there we have it. Another story has come to its conclusion, and it's bittersweet to see it go. I do want to thank you all so much though for your continued support and kindness. It has been so fun to write this, and I will certainly consider another EF AU down the line. Hopefully you all enjoyed this final installment, and if you haven't already, I hope you'll check out my other stories. I promise their just as – or possibly more – fluffy than this one. Thanks again, and have a wonderful rest of your week!**_


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